Leader of the Pack
by The Silent Scream
Summary: A Pack of shapeshifters arrives in Sunnydale and enlists the Slayer and her friends for help with the problem that brought them there. Not all of them are accepting of the gang though, and in the end, they might be in more danger than they imagine. Willow/OC est. relationship, rating for violence and cursing.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Posting a day early since I won't be here tomorrow to do so, and I'm eager to get this one started :) I hope you'll enjoy it :D

Disclaimer: None of the characters of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer are mine. Sadly.

* * *

Leader of the Pack

"I prefer this to the zombies we fought last month", Buffy commented as she staked a vampire with ease, „not so much danger in case you get bitten."

"Yup", Pat agreed, easily ducking the clumsy punch her opponent tried to land, then swiping his legs out from underneath him with a swift kick, "even though at least, those were slower."

She finished her fight by staking the vampire she had been battling, making him growl before he exploded into dust; smirking at the small pile, the demon tucked the stake back into her belt, then glanced around the cemetery, still eager for a fight after not having gone on patrol for a few nights, due to Willow wanting her company in the evenings so they could snuggle and cuddle on the couch.

"Someone's wanting to kick some ass", Buffy teased her as she noticed her look, making her shrug, then nod, the smirk still on her face when she looked at the Slayer and replied. "Yup, sure, I really want to beat something up still, being with Willow the last few nights was awesome of course, but you know how I get when I don't fight for too long."

"Yeah, really cranky", the blonde replied, now with a smirk of her own, "and we don't want that."

"Nope!" Pat agreed at once, then looked around again for yet another vampire, frowning when she saw nothing out of the ordinary though; the cemetery remained quiet, and the demon let out a huff, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance while the Slayer giggled again at her obvious need to fight something.

"Come on", she suggested after a moment, "I don't think we'll find any more vampires here, let's go to another cemetery."

"Alright", the taller woman nodded immediately, "which one? The one close to the hospital?"

"Yeah, why not, been a while since I went there", Buffy agreed, then started walking, the black haired woman moving along next to her, still glancing around while she dug out her cigarettes and lit one of them up; she briefly calculated how long it would take them to get to the cemetery she had suggested, figuring that she had more than enough time for a smoke, only to flinch when half a minute later, a female voice screamed in the distance, sounding panicked and scared.

Without a word needed, the two women exchanged a glance, then started running; thanks to their strength, almost on par with each other, they both could do so with impressive speed, approaching the cries quickly, spotting the source of the yells only a few minutes after hearing them for the first time, even though they both slowed down when they did so – because the one threatening the screaming girl wasn't a vampire, but an ordinary man, the girl fighting him with all her might as he was trying hard to tear her clothes.

"Come on, show me!" they both heard him snarl at her, then they had reached him and Pat tackled him, causing him to let out a surprised cry as her body weight and the force of the impact forced him to the ground; Buffy took the chance given by that to tell the girl that she should run, frowning when the man yelled "No! You don't understand!", struggling against the demon on top of him as the girl nodded and did just that, vanishing in the next side alley.

"We don't understand what?" Pat wanted to know as she got up and grabbed the guy at the collar, hoisting him to his feet and causing him to stare at her in surprise at her strength, "that you tried to rape that girl and that we interrupted you? Yeah, too bad."

"What?" the guy squeaked, "no! That wasn't what I had in mind…"

"Sure", Buffy gave back, rolling her eyes; the man struggled to free himself from Pat's grasp in reply, now glaring at both of them, sounding surprisingly convincing when he spoke up again. "Yes, sure, because it's the truth! You don't know what you did!"

For a moment, he looked torn, glancing into the direction the girl had ran off into and at the two women – before his hand shot into his pocket with surprising speed and, before Buffy or Pat could react, came back up with a fistful of some strange white powder, which he threw into the faces of the two women, startled yelps coming from them as it burned in their eyes and nose.

"Sorry!" he called out as the demon involuntarily let go of him so she could rub at her good eye frantically, tears streaming down her cheeks, "but you have no idea what this is about!" And with those words, he turned and ran off, his footsteps fading away in the distance while Buffy and Pat remained where they were, rubbing at their eyes and coughing frantically as the powder burned in their airways, both of them trying to figure out what exactly he had thrown into their faces.

* * *

"What the fuck", Pat finally managed to say, spitting as she tried to get the burning taste of the powder out of her mouth, "seriously, what the fuck was that! Jeez! My eye!"

"No idea", Buffy groaned, still rubbing at her eyes, "but it hurts, oh God, come on, we need to find some water or something to clean that… Ouch!"

"Damn, how annoying", the demon grumbled, finally finding herself able to open her eye again, even though it still burned and was tearing, "that guy really surprised us with that…"

"That he did", the Slayer agreed, slowly opening her eyes again as well, "but, look, lucky us, over there's a drinking fountain, we can use that to wash that out of our eyes…"

Nodding, Pat made her way to said drinking fountain with the blonde; there, they quickly washed out their eyes, glad that at least reduced the burning, and tried to get rid of the same effect in their throats and mouths by sloshing mouthfuls of water around in their mouths, spitting it out before swallowing a few sips.

"Willow's gonna scold me", the demon then sighed, still blinking as her eye still burned slightly, "first time I go on patrol with you in a week and I end up coming home looking as if someone sprayed pepper spray in my face."

"She'll probably scold me too for letting this happen", Buffy smiled, reaching out to clap her on the shoulder, "so no worries there. I just wonder what that guy meant when he said we don't know what we did when we helped that girl."

"Maybe he was just deranged", Pat shrugged, finding her cigarettes and lighting up another one, "I mean, he denied that he wanted to rape her, but that's what it looked like, right?"

"Right", Buffy agreed, "but if he had that powder in his pocket the whole time, why not use it on her? He could have stopped her from fighting him with that, but he didn't."

"…good point", the demon had to admit, "but, well, he ran off, so we can't ask him anymore, which is too bad. Also, I'd like to kick his butt for throwing that crap in our faces."

"Me too", Buffy let her know with a scowl, "that really was unnecessary, and my eyes and throat still burn. Yours, too?"

"Yeah", the taller woman grumbled, "unfortunately. And my need to fight puffed away when I got that powder thrown in my face, so if you want to call it a night, I'm fine with that."

"Oh thank God", the blonde sighed in reply, "because after that, I don't want to go on anymore, I just wanna go home and put my feet up."

Smirking, Pat nodded her agreement, then figured that their ways would part now then, since they had to walk into opposite directions; she told Buffy to take care, the Slayer advising her to do the same before they parted ways, the demon still rubbing at her eye every now and then as she walked to the apartment building, smiling a bit when she reached it and saw light in the window of their living room, signalling that Willow was still awake.

"Or she fell asleep while she was waiting for me", she then mumbled to herself, briefly regretting it that it was so late - she already knew how the redhead would react to her runny and reddened eye and her voice, which was even hoarser than usual thanks to the strange powder, and she figured that bringing along flowers would have been the perfect way to calm her down again, but unfortunately, no stores were open anymore.

Thus, she just took in a deep breath, briefly grimacing again as it burned in her throat, then entered the elevator and using the mirror there to check her face, her grimace returning when she saw that her good eye was bloodshot and her nostrils swollen.

"Bastard", she grumbled to herself, shaking to her head at how messed up she looked; then, the elevator arrived at the second floor and the doors opened, the black haired woman sniffling again as she made her way to the apartment door and unlocked it as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake Willow up in case she had fallen asleep on the living room couch.

"Pat, Sweetie?" the witch's voice drifted to her the moment she stepped into the small anteroom, "is that you?"

"Yeah", she called back, briefly wondering who else it could have been, since only Willow and she had keys to the apartment, then shrugged it off and taking off her shoes and jacket before she made her way into the living room, the witch sitting up straight on the couch the moment she entered, her eyes going wide.

"Jeez!" she then cried out, practically jumping up from her seat, "what happened?!"

"Hey, I don't look that bad", Pat tried to protest half-heartedly; Willow only dignified this by raising one eyebrow, then moved closer to her, looking at up her with concern as she repeated her question about what had happened.

"Something quite weird", the demon let her know, nodding at the couch as she figured that going to sleep was out of the question until she had recounted her adventurous evening; they both sat down, the black haired woman taking the time to light up a cigarette before she spoke on, quickly recounting the events which had led to her looking as if she had spent the night drinking, Willow looking at her with a frown the moment she had finished her little tale.

"That doesn't make any sense", she finally said, after pondering all the facts for a minute in silence, "if he had this powder ready, why not use it on the girl?"

"Just what Buffy said", Pat smirked in reply, glad that by now, at least the burning feeling in the back of her throat had stopped, even though her eye still was tearing slightly, "and I have no idea. Maybe he didn't want to… um, well, you know… with a girl made a mess by that stuff. Or we really got the wrong impression and he was right when he told us we didn't know what we'd done."

"Did you notice anything odd about the girl?" Willow wanted to know, looking at her curiously, only to frown again when the demon shook her head at once, then shrugged, sounding a bit sheepish when she replied. "Nope, but we didn't get such a good look on her, and she ran off pretty quick after I tackled that guy and got him away from her."

"Too bad", the witch commented, "but done bun can't be undone, and I'm tired. Let's go to sleep once you finished your cancer stick there?"

"Yeah, sure", the taller woman shrugged, then quickly finishing said cancer stick so her partner wouldn't have to hold out too long; the couple still took the time for a quick and tender kiss, then made their way into the bedroom together where they changed into the nightmare, the strange man and his strange powder soon forgotten as they drifted off into dreamland in each other's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

In the next morning, they got up together at the sound of Willow's alarm clock, since the witch had to go to college – now, finally, having settled everything about her long absence with her professors, something which had taken longer than anticipated thanks to the unusual and unexpected death of the responsible dean – while Pat had once more promised Anya to help out in the Magic Box; the demon grumbled to herself about how she hoped this hadn't anything to do with delivering stuff to people, still remembering the ex-demon's words about that newest idea she had had quite well and with dread.

"If she wants to send you somewhere, just say no", Willow suggested after she had listened to her lover's quiet rant for a while, giggling to herself at the black haired woman's dismay about the mere idea of being a delivery girl, "you know she can't force you."

"Yeah, but she can seduce me into doing it", the taller woman argued back, only to realize that she might have made a bad choice of words when the redhead briefly stopped her work with the coffee machine and raised an eyebrow at her, amused when Pat cleared her throat audibly.

"With discounts and stuff, I mean", she then hurriedly clarified, "not with… oh, never in a million years."

"That's not a very nice thing to say about Anya", Willow giggled, "but quite good for my ego. Never in a million years, huh?"

"Nope", Pat reassured her, "but it's not because of her, well, not fully. Same goes for Buffy. And of course for Dawn, cause that'd be super-creepy. There's only one girl in the Scoobie Gang I have that kind of interest in."

Smiling at her, the witch quickly finished preparing the coffee machine, then moved closer to her partner, her smile widening when immediately, she was pulled into a tender embrace; she had a moment to think about the fact that Pat was surprisingly coherent and willing to communicate, considering the early hour and the lack of coffee, then warm lips were on hers and pushed those thoughts aside, a content sigh escaping her as she leaned into the gentle kiss.

"Hmm", she let out as their lips touched again and again, without the kiss deepening though, momentarily regretting it that she had to pull back a bit so she could talk properly, "I could get used to starting my days like that. Why are you so awake?"

"Dunno", Pat shrugged, kissing her again afterwards, "one of the rare days in each century I'm not a morning grouch, I suppose."

"Just once a century?" the redhead giggled in reply, making her partner smirk as well, "that's like some super-rare magical occurrence then."

"Yup", the demon agreed, stealing yet another kiss afterwards, briefly making Willow wonder what was going on – not that Pat wasn't quite affectionate all the time, but usually, she was lucky if she got two words out of her so early in the morning, right after getting up, so this was quite the unusual behaviour for her.

"What happened?" she thus wanted to know with a smile, moving her hands up to entwine her fingers behind the black haired woman's neck, "you're quite cuddly and smoochy today. Not that I'm complaining."

"I'm just not grumpy for once", Pat shrugged in reply, "but glad to hear you don't mind."

"Of course not", the witch reassured her at once, pulling her down for yet another kiss, "in fact, it's really cute and lovely."

Letting out some vaguely agreeing noise, the demon demanded yet another kiss, then the coffee machine stopped gurgling and blubbering behind the couple, distracting her with the promise of freshly brewed coffee or, as she liked to call it, "life elixir"; still there was time for one more smooch before she finally disentangled herself from the embrace and moved to the machine, the redhead watching in amusement how she helped herself to a cupful of the black liquid and then added her usual ungodly amount of sugar, figuring that some things never changed, not even if her partner woke up in such a good mood.

"So", she then spoke up again, after they both had gotten coffee and had sat down, the table already decked out with various kinds of jam and peanut butter and bread, "you have any idea how long you'll be at the shop? I just have class until noon today, I could drop by there afterwards, I need some stuff anyways."

"Knowing Anya and her desire to annoy me by making me carry around heavy boxes for hours, I'm probably still gonna be there by the time you get done at class", Pat replied, rolling her good eye and making the smaller woman giggle once more, "but just to be on the safe side, call me or send a text once you get done at college, alright?"

"An even better idea than just showing up there", Willow nodded her agreement, one more giggle coming from her when the demon beamed proudly at her in reply; then, they both focused on finishing their breakfast, knowing they had to get going soon, both of them enjoying the coffee and the food – and each other's company, along with the relaxed and happy atmosphere it brought to the apartment.

* * *

Two hours later, that relaxed mood had vanished into nothingness for Pat as she carried box upon box from the delivery truck into the backroom of the Magic Box; the fact that the guy who had driven the truck only stood there and watched, using a hurt back as an excuse when she looked at him banefully, didn't lighten her mood up, and Anya's tries to be helpful by directing her around the small backroom with the heavy boxes in her arms didn't exactly help, either.

Finally, the last box had been moved from the truck, the driver climbed back in after Anya had signed some form or other on his clipboard and drove off; and while he still vanished in the distance, the ex-demon already was focusing on Pat again, telling her where to put the last box she still was holding in a firm grip.

"This is gonna cost you", the taller woman threatened as she moved to the shelf where Anya wanted said box, huffing and puffing as she lifted it so she could place it up there, "big discount for my Sweetie."

"Twenty percent, as usual", Anya replied, unimpressed by the strict look she received in reply, but quickly adding "and no haggling this time", just to be sure; Pat let out another huff, then stepped back from the shelf and looked up at it, wondering if it would hold all the stuff she had piled on it, not wanting to get called here for clean-up service, should it break.

"Did you think about my suggestion?" the ex-demon now tried to change the topic, before the taller woman could get the idea to haggle after all, making her way back to the store's main room as she talked; immediately, Pat shook her head, another strict look accompanying her words as she replied while following the brunette and dropping down in the nearest chair. "No, Anya, I'm not gonna be your delivery girl, no matter how often you ask."

"Why not?" Anya nearly whined, "you'd be perfect for the job. You have time, and you are strong in case some weirdo orders something and tries to attack or whatever. I saw a movie where that happened."

"Where, on the Lifetime channel?" the taller woman asked dryly, rolling her eye when the ex-demon nodded immediately, then added the information that it had been based on a true story.

"Sure it was", she then mumbled, "but anyway, no, I'm still not gonna do deliveries for you. Have you taken a good look at me lately? For most people, _I'd_ probably be the weirdo. Even Willow says that people at her campus think I'm scary."

"Even better", Anya beamed, making her friend groan as she realized that the brunette clearly had an answer for everything, "then people will be afraid of you and won't try to rip you off. And they'll give you a nice tip!"

"No", Pat told her in the strictest voice she managed without actually getting any louder, not wanting to yell at her despite how annoying she could be, "and that's final."

To her relief, the small bell over the door rang just as she said the last word, signalling the arrival of a customer; she automatically looked over, and moments later, her good eye went wide as her gaze met the one of the man who had attacked Buffy and her the previous evening. For a few moments, time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other; and then, the man let out a curse, twirling around and running back out of the shop, Anya letting out a startled cry when Pat jumped up from her seat so forcefully that she threw the chair over and ran after him.

"Hey!" she called out as she chased him down the street, several people turning their heads in surprise, then looking away quickly – after living in Sunnydale long enough, one learned that it was best to ignore such things, especially if they were slightly odd, like a one-eyed woman with two colours in her hair running after a perfectly ordinary looking man.

"Hey, stop!" the demon yelled again, prompting the guy to glance back over his shoulder and at her; then, he sped up even more, and Pat grit her teeth as she matched his speed, once more grateful for her demon strength and stamina.

Still she had to keep in mind to breathe evenly, knowing that the wrong breathing while running could mess it up even for her; and to her dismay, the man seemed to have more than human strength as well, running ahead of her without signs of slowing down, glancing back at her at her every now and then, then suddenly turning to the left at the next side alley and vanishing around the corner, prompting the demon to curse softly under her breath.

Speeding up even further, she reached the alley the man had vanished in; and there, she came to an almost screeching halt, finding herself staring at a wall at the other end of said alley, with no possibility to climb over it – not even for someone as tall and strong as her.

"What the fuck", she grumbled to herself, moving closer to the wall as if she expected a door to appear there any moment; this didn't happen, but instead, her gaze fell on deep scratches in the uneven stone, her frown deepening as she stepped even closer and ran her fingers over them, quickly recognizing them as being left behind by claws, possibly similar to the ones she had whenever she changed into her demonic form.

Curious, she looked down, finding dust from the wall on the ground, the sight telling her that the scratches were fresh and thus most likely had been made by the man when he had pulled himself up; quickly, she dug out her cell phone and took a picture of the scratches, only to nearly drop the phone a second later as it vibrated in her hand, the display informing her that she had a new message.

Pushing the button which displayed it, she smiled to herself when she saw it was from Willow, informing her that she had gotten done at college and asking if she was still at the Magic Box, then ending by sending hugs and kisses.

_On my way back there, _she wrote back as she started walking out of the side alley, figuring that climbing the wall was useless now since the man would be long gone, _the oddest thing happened, so get there quickly pls. Hugs & kisses._

She put the phone back into her pocket, then looked at the wall once more, frowning to herself again as she asked herself if another demon was in town and what he might want here; then, she turned and made her way back to the store, Anya demanding an explanation the moment she stepped through the door.

"Buffy and I ran into that guy yesterday", Pat let her know, moving over to the table again and sitting down there, smiling at the ex-demon when she put a bottle of water down in front of her, "he was… dunno, we thought he was molesting a girl, but he told us we don't understand and then threw some sort of powder into our faces which worked kinda like pepper spray and ran off. And now, he got over a quite high wall and left these behind."

With those words, she pulled her phone out again and showed it to Anya; she studied the picture for a while, then gave the phone back, sounding curious when she asked Pat if she thought that he was a demon, as well.

"Could be", the taller woman gave back, "at least he's some kind of supernatural being, because no ordinary human could have left those scratches or gotten over that wall so quickly."

"I wonder what he wanted here", Anya frowned, looking at the door as if she expected him to appear there again any moment, prompting the black haired woman to shrug; then, she made herself comfortable on the wooden chair and opened the bottle of water Anya had provided her with, glancing at the door every now and then as she waited for Willow to arrive, her mind running wild as she tried to figure out who this man was and what he might want in Sunnydale.


	3. Chapter 3

"There you are", Pat greeted her partner fifteen minutes later, getting up from her seat when Willow entered the shop and smiling at her, "I've been waiting for you, I got something to show you."

"Yeah?" the redhead gave back, taking off her book bag and placing it on the table, "what? Is it really urgent?"

"I don't think so, why?" the demon replied, raising an eyebrow; and a moment later, she knew why as Willow stepped closer to her and hugged her, then pulled her down for a tender kiss, mumbling "because of that" into her ear before she kissed her once more, Anya rolling her eyes at the public display of affection.

"You two are too sugary sweet", she then told the couple, shaking her head at them, "and didn't you have some kind of no-tongue-in-public policy a while ago?"

"There wasn't any tongue", Willow informed her, smiling; and then, to the ex-demon's annoyance and jealousy, since Xander wasn't around, the couple kissed once more, then Pat got out her phone and quickly explained what had happened before she showed her the picture, making her frown slightly as she studied it.

"So that guy is a demon, too?" she then asked, looking up at the taller woman, "that's unsettling. Remember the last time we had a fiery guy here?"

"Yeah", Pat grimaced, still remembering it all too well, especially how said fiery guy had set her up for accusations and she had ended up having one of the rare big fights with her girlfriend, "let's hope he's not like that nasty douche. But at least he didn't seem to be eager to fight me, after all, he ran away."

"I wonder why", the witch pondered in reply, studying the picture again, "judging from those… gashes, at least his claws should be quite sharp."

"Maybe he heard of me", the demon smirked, prompting Willow to look at her again, "don't forget, our little group has quite the reputation among the demon world by now, and, well, I'm not exactly hard to describe."

"Tall, one-eyed, smokes a lot, short temper, and has the inexplicable need to cuddle and kiss her girlfriend all the time", Anya threw in from behind, smiling innocently when they both gave her a reproachful look – before Pat spoke up, her words making the redhead next to her giggle. "Inexplicable need? And that from the woman who talks about orgasms all the time?"

"Yes, but I'm an ex-demon, unlike you", the brunette pointed out, "normally, demons don't do that."

"Normally, demons don't fall in love in the first place", Pat smirked at her, the ex-demon having to admit that she had a point, "but that happened, too, so I might as well enjoy it."

"And I'm glad about that", Willow reassured her, then brought the topic back to the possibility of a new demon in town by telling her that she wanted to transfer this picture on her laptop and look at it in a higher resolution there, making the demon nod slightly, a gesture she repeated when her partner asked if she was done here already.

"Alright", she smiled, then got out the small list she had prepared and handed it to Anya, explaining that she needed those ingredients to restock her supply at home; nodding, the brunette went off to find all the herbs and powders Willow had written down, the witch taking the chance given by that to pull her partner into another embrace, caressing her hair tenderly as she smiled up at her.

"You know", she then mumbled, "Anya did have a point though… You are extra-affectionate today. How come?"

"Dunno", the demon shrugged, putting both arms around her waist, "maybe it's because we had so much action lately again, what with that mess with Andras and you knocking yourself out with the magic, so shortly after I went feral and nearly ate you… or maybe that powder contained some kind of aphrodisiac and it's having an effect now."

"Well, I hope it's not just that", Willow smirked, "not that you aren't affectionate on other days, as well, but I really enjoy that…"

"Me too", Pat reassured her, smiling back at her, "but, hey, if I'm not… I dunno, affectionate enough, you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course", the witch let her know at once, "and I had no reason to complain so far, no worries there. Especially considering the years we've been together now, I've seen many couples where that just stopped after a while, so…"

"We're not one of those, either", Anya threw in from where she standing at one of the shelves, "but you're right, we can all be happy we aren't like that!"

"Indeed", Pat agreed, then bent down for one more kiss; afterwards, they both sat down at the table as they waited for Anya to get all the things Willow needed, the demon asking her lover how her day at college had been and listening to her excited reply with a slight smile on her face, once more amazed how well this still worked out after all these years they had been together.

* * *

"Are you going on patrol again tonight?" Willow wanted to know quite some time later, back in their apartment, as she was sorting the stuff she had gotten from the store into her own private magic box; on the couch, Pat shrugged, looking at her as she laid lazily on the piece of furniture, her head on the armrest and a cigarette between her fingers, making her a poster child for relaxation.

"Not sure yet, Buffy didn't say anything", she then explained, interrupting herself with a drag of her cancer stick before she went on, "if you want me to stay here with you, I won't."

"Of course I'd love to have you around", Willow smiled, finishing her work and moving to join her partner on the couch, prompting her to pull back her legs so she had room to sit, "but, on the other hand, if that guy really is a demon, and Buffy goes alone, this might get dangerous for her…"

"Yeah, good point", Pat had to admit, smirking when Willow pulled her feet into her lap and started giving her a foot rub for no apparent reason, since she hadn't walked around so much that day that it would have been necessary, "so I better call her and ask her if she wants some company."

"Promise you'll be careful", the witch instructed in reply while the taller woman already got out her phone, "I don't want you to come home with numerous bite wounds or whatever if you run into this guy."

"I'll heal before I come back home then, should that happen", the demon replied airily, chuckling at the strict look she received from Willow for those words, knowing perfectly well that this hadn't been what the redhead had had in mind when she had said those words.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it", she scolded, swatting at her lover's feet lightly, "just be careful, okay?"

"I'll give my best", Pat finally told her what she wanted to hear, "I promise. Maybe we'll be lucky for once and that guy won't even be around anymore."

"You do remember in which town we are living, right?" Willow giggled, gently making her pull her feet back again before she moved on the couch so she ended up on top of her partner, "we're hardly ever the ones who are lucky. Usually, the baddies are."

"Too true", the taller woman sighed, then moved one hand to caress the witch's cheek tenderly, the gentle touch making her smile again as her own fingers started to play with Pat's hair, something she thought she'd never grow tired of, "but I'll really try to be careful, okay? Just so you won't scold me and ban me to the couch in case I come home hurt."

"I'd never ban you to the couch then", Willow reassured her at once, "I'd fuss over you and be worried."

"I know, just kidding", Pat gave back, smiling up at her, one of the rare moments where it wasn't the other way round; Willow let out a small giggle in reply, then leaned down to kiss her tenderly, the kiss quickly deepening, a small sigh escaping the redhead when she felt the demon's arms wrap around her and her hands started to caress her back tenderly. It didn't take long though until she wasn't satisfied by that anymore, moving her hands beneath the shirt instead to run her fingers over the witch's skin; another sigh came in response, then Willow forced herself to pull back from the kiss, not surprised to see a lusty glint in her lover's good eye when they looked at each other.

"You know", Willow then started, fighting hard to keep her voice steady, feeling quite aroused as well by now, "it's still quite early in the afternoon, you can call Buffy a bit later…"

The only response she got was a low growl coming from the back of the taller woman's throat, but it was the only one she needed; she had a moment to smile, then she was pulled back down for another kiss, skilled fingers unbuttoning her shirt quickly before moving it out of the way and causing it to drop to the floor, all thoughts of Buffy and any new demons in town quickly whipped from her mind mere seconds later.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: So my update schedule is completely wonky this time… I'm trying to get it back on track though :/ Please bear with me until then :D

* * *

"So there might be a new demon in town, eh", Buffy said as a greeting the moment Pat had stepped close enough so she could talk to her without having to shout; to her amusement, the demon raised an eyebrow, then replied, her voice as dry as the Sahara, making the blonde giggle slightly. "Why, hello to you, too, Buffy, I'm fine as well, thanks for asking."

"Don't go all prim and proper on me now", the Slayer gave back, still grinning, "I know you're fine, because you didn't answer when I called to ask if you'll come along tonight."

"I called you back", Pat pointed out at once, throwing the cigarette she had been smoking on the way to the cemetery down on the ground and stepping on it to put it out, "and just because I didn't take a call, doesn't mean that had that certain, special reason you're trying to imply with your words and your impish grin."

"Yeah, I'd believe there was another reason if Willow had taken my call right after I tried your phone", the blonde grinned in reply, "but when she didn't answer, either, I kinda knew what you were up to."

"Psh", Pat let out in reply, making Buffy giggle once more, "we just as well could have been in mortal danger."

"Then you would have kicked that thing's ass and would have told me right away when you called me back", the Slayer pointed out, making the demon realize that she couldn't win this argument; thus, she just rolled her eye, earning yet another giggle for her troubles, and gestured at the cemetery gate, changing the topic by asking if they should get started, then.

"Sure", Buffy gave back, smirking at her once more before she started moving; together, they moved through the rows of graves, both listening keenly for any noise which might indicate a vampire – before the blonde spotted something quite unsettling, gaining her patrol companion's attention by grasping her arm.

"Look over there", she told her in a low voice, gesturing at a grave to her right; they both frowned as they moved closer to it for a better look, studying the earth which had been piled up around the open grave and the broken up casket, the demon then lowering herself into a crouch to get a better look at the corpse – or at what was left of it, since someone or something clearly had used it as a snackbar.

"Ew", Buffy commented next to her, "eating dead people? Well, better than eating alive ones I guess, but still. Gross. That must cause the most horrible bad breath."

"A ghoul, perhaps", Pat pondered out loud in reply, straightening up again, "they eat dead people, don't they?"

"Yup", the Slayer agreed, still eying the corpse, grimacing at the sight of the torn open chest and stomach and the missing organs, "wait, we better take a pic of this to show to Giles, maybe he can confirm it's a ghoul."

With those words, she already got out her phone and leaned closer as well to get a good picture of the teeth marks all over the corpse and of the laid open upper body; then, she tucked the phone back into her pocket and looked around, still listening closely for anything which might indicate that the one responsible for this or a vampire was around.

"It's strangely quiet here tonight", Pat pointed out next to her, looking around with a frown, "normally, we would have run into a vampire by now. Where are they all?"

"No idea", the blonde grumbled, straining her ears to pick up any sound as she kept glancing left and right, "maybe we're at the wrong—oh!" She flailed her arms around wildly as her foot got caught at something, tripping her up, managing to regain her balance in the last second; next to her, she heard Pat snicker slightly, even though that noise died in her throat when she saw what Buffy had stumbled over.

The corpse on the ground was obviously much fresher than the one they had found in the grave, blood still trickling from where the man's chest and stomach had been torn open, the demon's good eye momentarily widening when she took a closer look at his face and recognized him as the one she had chased earlier that day.

"That's him!" Buffy now cried out next to her, having recognized him as well, "that guy with the powder!"

"Yeah", Pat agreed, moving closer to the corpse and studying the claw- and bite marks all over his body, "looks like something ate him, like that corpse back there in the grave. Not a ghoul after all then?"

"At least I never heard of ghouls who attack living people, they usually just run away, as far as I know", the Slayer gave back, looking up at her companion – and frowning when the taller woman suddenly started to sniff audibly, frowning to herself again as she glanced left and right.

"What is it?" Buffy wanted to know, automatically keeping her voice low, by now knowing that it hardly meant something good when the black haired woman did this; before Pat could reply though, dark shapes moved out of the shadows all around them, encircling them, prompting both of them to automatically clench their fists.

"No need to get so tense", a pleasant female voice spoke up, moving out of the circle and gaining the attention of both women, "we are not interested in fighting you. We just ask you to leave."

"Sorry, no can do", Buffy replied at once, as always not liking it when someone told her what to do, "dead guy here, this kind of is part of my job description, you know?"

"We are well aware of this, Slayer", the woman gave back, causing Buffy to gape at her in surprise while Pat took the chance given and studied her intently; she was tall, almost as tall as the demon, with long and flowing brown hair, her strangely yellow eyes now focusing on the black haired woman as a slight smile curled her full lips, exposing unsettlingly sharp teeth for a moment. "And the demon. Is your witch around, too?"

"…no", Pat gave back after a moment, not liking that this woman obviously knew them so well, "but, you know, since you obviously know who we are, it's kinda rude you're not introducing yourself, too."

She had been expecting a lot of responses, knowing that she would have been snarky, had someone spoken that way to her; what she hadn't expected though was that the woman smiled pleasantly again and then introduced herself, the men and women all around them remaining quiet as she spoke, just watching the demon and the Slayer with weary eyes. "Of course, forgive my lack of manners, please. I'm Valeriana, but my friends call me Anna."

"Not sure if we're your friends", Buffy mumbled, looking at the dead guy at her feet again before her gaze focused on the woman once more, "especially because your lackeys here surround us in what might be seen as quite threatening."

"At least we are not enemies", Valeriana gave back at once, "and please, as I said, we don't want to fight you. In fact, we don't want to make any trouble at all for you. We just have some… business her in Sunnydale, and we'd appreciate it if we could stay out of each other's way until it is done."

"Depends what that business is", Buffy replied without missing a beat, eying the woman critically, "if it has anything to do with killing people, I'm afraid we can't stay out of your way."

To her astonishment and slight dismay, one of the men in the circle around them growled audibly at her words, stepping closer to her, baring sharp teeth at her; she automatically slid into a fighting stance, but before anything could happen, Valeriana snapped "Derek! Behave yourself!", and the man moved back again, glaring banefully at the blonde, but not making another move into her direction.

"Please forgive Derek's behaviour", Valeriana then told the two women, looking at them again, "this man here was his mate, and he's been on the edge ever since their bond was cut."

"…I have no idea what you are talking about", Buffy let her know, frowning at her, the demon next to her mimicking her expression, "but it's good to see you got your lackeys under control." She smiled sweetly at the guy named Derek, then Pat spoke up next to her, all eyes focusing on her, the black haired woman not letting this stop her though.

"That's a nice story", she coldly let Valeriana know, ignoring the growl Derek let out just like she'd ignored the stares, "but why should we believe you?"

"We have no reason to lie to you", Valeriana shrugged, as if that would convince anyone that her words were honest, "also, we never would lie to one of us."

"One of us", Pat echoed, raising an eyebrow at her, "so you guys are all demons, or what? I doubt you're all Slayers."

"Not demons", Valeriana gave back, giving them a second to wonder what she had meant with "one of us" then, and to ask themselves if they were witches and warlocks then – before the brunette went on, earning startled looks from both Buffy and Pat in reply. "Shapeshifters."


	5. Chapter 5

"Shapeshifters", the demon finally echoed, "all of you?"

"Yes", Valeriana replied, smiling pleasantly at her once again, "just like you. You can change too, can't you?"

"Well, yeah", Pat had to admit, figuring that the other woman already knew the answer to that question anyway, "but I still don't see why this would keep you from lying to us, just because we both happen to be able to change into something else."

"Our code of honour prevents this", Valeriana told her, "I'm well aware that this will not convince you, either, sceptical as you are, but I reassure you that we had nothing to with Harrison's death here. We are here to find the one responsible and… neutralize her."

"With all due respect", Derek grumbled before Buffy or Pat could reply anything to that, "but I don't see why we have to justify ourselves to these people. She's not really one of us, you know that, and if they don't get out of the way soon…"

"Then what?" Pat snarled, not liking the threatening sound in his voice, clenching her fists; he held her gaze and stepped closer to her again, his eyes flashing up in an unnatural bright green as he growled at her, his teeth lengthening while still was doing so.

"Derek, please", Valeriana tried, but this time, he ignored her; snarling back at him, the demon took a step towards him as well, noticing how all other people in the circle held their breath, clearly worried about where this might lead.

"Nice trick with your chompers there", she growled, "but I have a few tricks up my sleeve, too." And while she still spoke, her good eye started glowing in a bright red and smoke began to curl from her clenched fists; not sure if she should try to step in or not, Buffy just gave her a worried glance, figuring that she could take that guy Derek, but not wanting to imagine what might happen if they'd all attack them then.

"_Derek!" _Valeriana's voice cut through the night and the tension between said man and Pat like a whip, Derek even flinching as if he actually had been struck, the glow vanishing from his eyes, "step back and control yourself!"

"You might want to call her back, too", another man commented, looking at Buffy and gesturing at Pat, "we don't want a fight."

"Um, I can't really call her back, she's not my pet, even if the vampires here may call her that", the Slayer pointed out, "but hey, Pat, why don't you calm down too, huh?"

In response, the demon kept glaring at Derek for a few more seconds – before the glow vanished from her eye, causing it to return to the usual blue colour, and the smoke stopped rising from her fists, the last few swaths of it fading away into the night, causing Buffy to let out the breath she had been holding while she had been waiting for the taller woman's reaction.

"Good", Valeriana said the moment the last puff of smoke had vanished, "and I apologize once more for Derek's behaviour, but you'll surely understand that the loss of his mate hurt him deeply."

"Yeah, but we didn't kill him", Buffy pointed out, "so there's no reason to attack either of us."

"No, of course not, which is why I apologize", Valeriana replied, smiling pleasantly at her again, "but surely you'll understand that we have to part ways here now, we will take Harrison to be buried according to our traditions. This is why we came here in the first place, we didn't expect anyone to be around, certainly not the Slayer and her… and her companion."

Briefly, Pat wondered what Valeriana almost had called her, then shrugged it off and instead asked if they knew who had killed the poor guy, the brunette's answer making her frown once more.

"We do have a suspicion, but I'm afraid I can't tell you anything about it", she let the two women know, ignoring the way both of them frowned at her, "it's an... internal issue of our group."

"Well, if whoever is responsible is killing people here in Sunnydale, it becomes an issue for me, as well", Buffy argued back not willing to give up so soon, "so don't be surprised if we'll meet again in the future, should more people die."

"No worries", Valeriana tried to reassure her, the sceptical look on the blonde's face showing how little success she had with that though, "we will neutralize this threat before anyone else will come to harm. We are… specialists for such cases.

"…fine", Buffy grumbled after thinking about this for a few moments, earning a startled look from Pat, "take him then and go, but if anyone dies, it'll be on your hands."

"No worries", Valeriana repeated, then nodded at two of her men; wordlessly, they moved to pick up the dead man on the ground, the brunette taking the time to say goodbye and even wishing the two women all the best before the group turned as one and left, taking the killed Harrison with them.

"Well, that was odd", Buffy mumbled as soon as they were out of earshot, looking at Pat, "a whole bunch of shapeshifters in town, telling us off when we try to solve this?"

"Because it was one of them", the demon gave back, shrugging when the blonde's eyes widened, sounding mildly surprised when she went on. "What, you didn't figure that out yet? That guy was torn apart with teeth and claws, it must have been one of them."

"Maybe that guy Derek", Buffy speculated in reply, "he had a really short temper, even shorter than yours."

"Yeah, who knows", Pat gave back with a slight smirk, "but if we're lucky, they'll do the dirty work for us, find the culprit and get rid of them, or, as Valeriana put it, neutralize them, and we won't have to endanger ourselves for once. Now, should we get on with patrol?"

Nodding, Buffy looked into the direction the group had vanished in once more, then shrugged the strange encounter off and started moving into the other direction, the demon by her side a moment later, both of them focusing on their surroundings again as they searched for vampires or other demons to slay.

* * *

"That was a complete and utter waste of time", were the first words Pat said to Willow after greeting her with a tender kiss, surprised that again, the witch had stayed up to wait for her, sighing when in response, her partner gave her a curious look and asked why she'd say that.

"No vampires at all", the demon told her with a sigh, dropping down on the couch next to her, "instead, a dead guy and a bunch of shapeshifters who took him and basically told us to keep our noses out of their business."

"What?" Willow gave back, with a raised eyebrow, "what exactly happened?" Shrugging, Pat lit up a cigarette, blowing a cloud of smoke towards the ceiling before she retold the events of the evening, the redhead giving her yet another curious glance when she had gotten done.

"So they knew about Buffy and you, and me, too", she then reflected, "and they were all shapeshifters?"

"Well, according to that Valeriana person, all of them were", Pat replied, putting one arm around her shoulders and pulling her a bit closer, making her smile, "but at least one guy was for sure, the dead guy's mate, apparently, at least that's what that chick told us. Oh, and I think she nearly referred to me as Buffy's pet once, and only corrected herself to 'companion' in the last moment possible. Not to mention that another guy told Buffy to call me back when Derek got into my face, as if I'm her dog or something."

"Well, the vampires around do call you the Slayer's pet", Willow smirked, earning a huff in reply, "but maybe that was just some shapeshifter thing. I didn't even know we had a whole group of them here in Sunnydale."

"I'm not sure they actually are from here", Pat gave back, "they didn't say where they are from, but we would have run into them earlier, don't you think?"

"Yeah, probably", Willow agreed, "so you think they just recently came here? Why?"

"Well, from how that guy looked, he was killed by a shapeshifter", Pat reminded her of that crucial part of her tale, "so maybe one of them went wild or whatever. They were really tight-lipped about that."

"I'd hope that they'll solve this and we won't have to do any work, or fight any wild shapeshifters", Willow sighed in reply, "but this is Sunnydale, so we'll probably end up in a brawl with a bunch of them or something."

"I might", Pat replied at once, giving her a strict look, "if we really have to fight one of them sooner or later, and I don't doubt that'll happen, you'll stay away from it. The last thing we need is you to get bitten and end up hairy whenever you get angry."

"But what if you need magic to defeat it?" Willow argued back at once, even though so far, they didn't even know such a fight would happen, "then you'll need my help."

"I know", Pat grumbled, giving her a worried look, "but I really don't like the thought of a rabid shapeshifter anywhere near you."

"Neither do I, trust me", the witch gave back at once, snuggling closer to her, "and I hope it won't happen at all, because I don't want you to get hurt, either, and wild werewolves can be… tricky to fight. Ask Buffy."

"I don't think they work like werewolves though", Pat thought out loud in reply, "when that guy Derek got really pissed, his eyes started glowing and his teeth got sharper, as if he's doing it voluntarily and knowingly. I'm not sure they're connected to the moon like werewolves are."

"Sounds like he's more like you", Willow giggled, "you do the glowing eye thing too whenever you get angry."

"I did it at him too, and the smoking fists as a bonus", Pat smirked, making her partner laugh once more, "but then Valeriana stepped in and stopped him. Too bad, would have loved to see if I could have taken him."

"You're so macho at times", the redhead gave back with a roll of her eyes, making her girlfriend chuckle slightly; then, the couple exchanged a short, but tender kiss before they got up and made their way into the bedroom together, neither of them noticing the pair of glowing eyes watching them through the living room window.


	6. Chapter 6

As the morning dawned, they both slumbered so peacefully that they didn't hear the door to their apartment being opened by someone who had no key, but clearly knew how to manipulate the lock into unlocking without breaking it; and even though the hallway was tiled, the person moved with footsteps so light that she made no sound, the carpet in the living room only making this easier for her as she approached the bedroom.

As quietly as she had opened the apartment door, she now opened the one leading to the bedroom; she stepped inside, then stopped and smiled to herself as she studied the two people sleeping in the bed. Even though she hadn't seen the demon's partner yet, only had heard of her, she recognized her at once, something was made considerably easier by the rather distinctive red hair – and the fact that she laid with her back to the demon, the taller woman snuggled up to her, one arm loosely draped over her waist, one of the witch's hands resting on said arm.

For a few more moments, the woman kept looking at the sleeping couple, then cleared her throat; when this had no effect, she tried louder this time, and in response, the witch let out some sort of low groaning sound before she opened her eyes and turned to peer at her partner sleepily, starting to speak up in the process. "Pat, did you…"

Her gaze fell on the woman standing in their bedroom, and she shrieked, making the taller woman at her side jump as she got torn out of her sleep; and the blink of an eye later, she had seen the woman as well, practically jumping out of the bed, her fists flaming up as she stared at her.

"What the fuck are you doing in here!" she nearly yelled, momentarily glad that she had thought of putting on her pyjama after the previous night's activities; still in the bed, Willow clutched the blanket to her chest as she stared wide-eyed, trying to figure out why there was a woman she never had seen before standing in their bedroom at the break of dawn.

"Answer me!" Pat now demanded, her initial startled reaction replaced by anger, "what are you doing here, and who are you, anyway?!"

"I'm Alexia, Valeriana sent me", the woman explained, smiling at the demon, "please forgive me for intruding into your room like this, but this is the way Valeriana wanted it."

"She wanted to give us a heart attack then?" Pat snarled, barely able to believe the nerve of this woman, "no need to, already had one, it's not fun."

"No", the woman replied, "this was surely not her intention. She merely needs some information."

"She could just have called!" Willow threw in, not able to believe that this really was happening, "or visited later on?! Apparently, she knows where we live!"

"We tracked you", Alexia replied light-heartedly, as if this was the most normal thing to do in the world, "and I'm sorry if this upsets you. This is how we handle such requests in our group."

"You just barge into the bedroom of the people you wanna talk to?" Pat wanted to know, her anger momentarily replaced by disbelief, "you can't be serious."

"Usually, we are awake at this time of the day", Alexia shrugged, "but I'd rather leave the rest of the explanations to Valeriana, if you don't mind. Are you willing to help us?"

"Depends on what you want", Pat grumbled, still not all too happy about the whole situation, "go back to the living room and wait there, we'll join you in a moment, then you can tell us what you need."

"Alright", Alexia agreed at once, then stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind herself; shaking her head, the demon looked at her partner, sounding mildly amused now as she spoke up again. "Definitely not from here, or they'd know it's not a good idea to barge into the bedroom of a witch and a demon."

"Indeed", Willow gave back, shaking her head, "I wonder what this Valeriana person was thinking when she gave that order. We both got better about the self-control-thing, but Alexia still could have ended up blasted out the window… or burned."

"Or both", the taller woman smirked, making her partner giggle slightly as she nodded; then, the redhead finally got out of bed and quickly put on some clothing, Pat doing the same right next to her, the couple taking the time to share a quick, but loving kiss before they left the bedroom together to talk to their unexpected visitor and find out what she might want from them.

* * *

"So, um, you want some coffee or something?" Willow asked once they had joined Alexia in the living room; smiling pleasantly at her, with a smile that looked suspiciously like Valeriana's, the other woman shook her head, adding an explanation moments later. "We don't drink coffee, it makes it harder for us to stay in control, and in such a situation, control is very important. I would like some water please."

"Gosh, I'd die without coffee", Pat commented as the redhead nodded and left to get the water, dropping down on the couch and raising her voice so her partner would hear her, "so will you please make some, Honey?"

"Sure", Willow's voice drifted back to them, making the taller woman smile before she spotted her cigarettes on the table and quickly snatched the pack up, not surprised when Alexia declined when she offered her one.

"I don't smoke", she then added unnecessarily, "but please, don't let me stop you from doing so."

With an agreeing noise, Pat put one of the cancer sticks between her lips and let a tiny flame appear on her finger to light it up; and the moment she did so, Alexia spoke up again, her words making the demon choke and cough. "Your bond is very strong. How often do you mate?"

"Excuse me?" the black haired woman finally regained her ability to speak, in an uncharacteristically high voice, staring at the other woman in disbelief, "I don't think that's any of your business, lady."

"Oh, do you not talk about these things in your… group?" Alexia wanted to know, sounding honestly surprised, "I apologize then, among my people, we are quite open about such things."

"What things?" Willow chose this moment to come back to the living room with a glass of water, letting Pat know that the coffee was done soon while she handed the water to Alexia, then sat down next to her girlfriend, her eyes briefly widening when the demon responded. "Oh, Alexia just asked how often we mate."

"How often… but… What? How? What?" Willow spluttered in reply, causing Alexia to give her a worried look while Pat smirked momentarily, quickly wiping the smirk off her face again though when the redhead looked at her again. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"No", the demon replied, now sounding indignant, "why would I? I barely know her!"

"I apologize", Alexia repeated, looking at the couple with worry and clutching the glass Willow had given her, "I really did not mean to make you uncomfortable. I just commented to your mate on how strong your bond is, Willow."

"Um, well, no problem", the redhead gave back after another moment, "but, yeah, we really don't talk about such things to complete strangers. Only to our best friends, and not even that often or regularly."

"Unless your name is Anya", Pat mumbled under her breath, then took another drag of her cigarette; thanks to being woken up so harshly, she was much more coherent than usual at such an early time in the morning, but her need for coffee was as strong as ever, and thus, she listened closely for the coffee machine to stop hissing in the kitchen.

"Well", Alexia now said, distracting her from her listening, "we should get to the reason for my visit, or Valeriana might get worried if I take too long."

"And we don't want that", the demon commented, giving her a curious look, "so what do you want our help for?"

"We are new to this town", Alexia confirmed their suspicions about the shapeshifters not being from Sunnydale, "so we are a bit lost about the customs and traditions here. Also, we need to get… information about the local demon population, you excluded of course, Pat, but the rest of them."

"For that, you can go to Willie's", Willow informed her, "it's the local demon bar. The bartender's human though, and you might have to threaten him a bit before he tells you anything. As for customs and traditions, well, I'd say don't go out during the night, but as shapeshifters, you surely are powerful enough so you won't need to worry about vampires and the like."

"There won't be many vampires here as long as we are in town", Alexia shrugged, prompting both women to raise an eyebrow, quickly explaining what she meant at their curious look. "Vampires don't like our kind of shapeshifters. Whenever we leave our territory and come to a town, they go into hiding until we leave again."

"Well, that's a plus", Pat smirked, "will make patrol much easier for us as long as you're here then. And now that we answered your question, would you mind answering some of ours, as well?"

"I would love to", the other woman replied, prompting the demon to roll her good eye as she already saw where this was going, "but I can't. Only Valeriana is authorized to give you any information, as she's our leader."

"Figures", Pat sighed, then got up from her seat to check on the coffee; and when she came back with two cups filled with the dark liquid and prepared just the way Willow and she liked it with milk and sugar, Alexia was gone, prompting the black haired woman to raise an eyebrow at her lover questioningly.

"The moment you were in the kitchen, she said she had to go, got up and left", the witch explained, shrugging, "I wasn't supposed to stop her, right?"

"No, that's just odd", the demon gave back, handing her coffee to the redhead before she sat down next to her again and picked up her cigarette from where she had placed it in the ashtray, "maybe she was afraid we'd pester her to answer our questions and that's why ran off."

"Kinda rude, don't you think?" Willow smiled, taking a sip of her coffee before she went on, "and I have the feeling she came here for more than just to ask us about, and I quote, the local customs and traditions and demon information."

"Yeah, she also wanted to know how often we have sex", Pat dryly replied, prompting her partner to let out a cough, "but apart from that, yeah, you're right, I think she wanted to do more than that. Maybe check you out."

"Me?" the witch gave back, surprised again, "why me?"

"Well, they got a good look at Buffy and me the other night", the black haired woman shrugged, "and they knew that you exist, but you weren't there, so maybe they wanted to get a look at you now."

"They could have that easier than breaking in at the break of dawn and wake us up", Willow grumbled, yawning afterwards and checking her watch, "we'd still be asleep if it hadn't been for that woman suddenly standing in our bedroom."

"We really need to talk to Valeriana about this", the demon told her, "next time she needs something from us, she can just call, or send someone during a more normal time for visits, who will wait at the door until we let them in."

"Do you have a way to contact Valeriana?" Willow wanted to know in reply, giggling when Pat's face fell, her expression being all the answer she needed; she smiled at the taller woman, then leaned in to kiss her tenderly, only to pull back a few moments later as the landline phone started to ring.

"Wonder who that is now", she grumbled, dismayed that their moment of tenderness had been interrupted; still, she couldn't bring herself to ignore the phone, but got up and moved to the small table it stood on, taking the call after glancing at the display and telling her partner with slight surprise in her voice that it was Buffy.

"Hello Buffy", she greeted as she took the call, "got an early morning visitor too?"

"…how do you know that?" the Slayer wanted to know, sounding so stunned that it was almost comical, "wait, did they come to your place, too?"

"Yes, right into our bedroom", Willow confirmed, smiling as Pat moved closer to her and wrapped both arms around her waist from behind, "nearly gave both of us a heart attack."

"Same here", Buffy replied, and the redhead could imagine how she was rolling her eyes as she talked, "and then the girl explained how this was how they do it in their group."

"Yup, same here", Willow confirmed, "and then what did she want?"

"It was quite odd actually", the Slayer replied, now wrinkling her brow on her end of the line, "she just asked about our customs and traditions and about the local demon population, excluding our favourite demon."

"Our girl here asked us exactly the same", the witch let her best friend know, "which is why Pat and I think that…"

"…she came for another reason and the questions were just a ruse", Buffy finished for her, her frown deepening, "the question now is, which reason?"

"No idea", Willow had to admit, "Pat thought they wanted to check me out, because they haven't met me, but since they've been at your place, as well…"

"And we don't even have a way to contact them", Buffy grumbled, "but if we run into them again, I'll have some questions to ask, as well."

"So do we", Willow let her know, not liking this at all, "believe me. Hey, I should come along on patrol tonight, maybe I can do a spell to find them."

"Good idea", Buffy agreed while behind her, Pat frowned, not happy with the thought of taking her partner along on patrol while a rampant shapeshifter was somewhere out there, but also aware of the fact that it'd be hard to find the group of shapeshifters without any magical aid.

"I'll see you at eight tonight then?" the blonde went on, making the redhead agree; the settled the place for the meeting as well, namely the Summers house, then Willow ended the call, turning to look at her girlfriend and speaking up before Pat had the chance to say something.

"I know you're not happy with this, but something smells fishy here, and you'll need magic to find them again", she pointed out, "so no protesting, please?"

"Yeah, I know you're right", Pat sighed, "and yeah, I'm not happy, but we don't have much of a choice, so… But if we run into this thing, promise you'll stay out of the fight!"

"I promise", Willow told her at once, not all too keen on fighting a shapeshifter anyway; this made the taller woman smile slightly before she bent down for a tender kiss, then the two pulled apart and got ready for their day, knowing they still had quite a few things to do before the evening and the patrol with the Slayer.


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay, so I'm not sure if this will work", Willow admitted many hours later, looking from her partner to her best friend, "I've never done this variant of the locator spell before, but I read up on it before we left, and I hope I got it right."

"There's the spot you wanted", Buffy pointed out in reply, gesturing at the place where they had found the dead man the previous night, "and there still seems to be some blood around. How is this working again?"

"Well, you told me that his, um, mate was there with them", Willow informed her in reply, "and that shapeshifter at our place was talking about some kind of bond, which they apparently form with their partners, so I'll try to find the location of his mate through his blood. It's kind of a long shot, but worth a try, especially since we don't have anything else I could use for the spell."

"It won't be dangerous for you, right?" Pat wanted to know, something she had asked before, but clearly needed to hear the answer again; smiling up at her as she by now was crouching on the ground, the redhead reassured her that it wasn't, then ripped off several of the blades of grass on which the unfortunate Harrison's blood had dried.

"This should be enough", she decided after ripping out several more of them, giving them to her partner to hold before she opened the bag she had brought along and got out a small, earthen bowl, a plastic bag with the herbs she'd need for the spell following, the witch looking up at her girlfriend once she had gotten everything she needed out of the bag.

"I'll need some fire after I threw in the grass", she explained, "could you…?"

"Yes, of course", Pat reassured her at once, smiling at her, wondering why she even had to ask; the redhead returned the smile, then took in a deep breath before she asked the other two women to be quiet now, adding the information that an interruption of the spell might have dreadful consequences.

She waited until they both had nodded their agreement, then closed her eyes as she focused, breathing slowly and deeply to accomplish the calmness she'd need for the spell; it didn't take long until she felt ready and opened her eyes again, beginning the chant as she added the ingredients to the bowl, the demon watching her in silence, waiting for her to throw the grass into it so it'd be her cue to add the flames.

The moment Willow threw the blades of grass she had collected into the bowl, Pat did just that, flickering a tiny ball of fire towards the bowl; it landed right in the middle of the small heap of ingredients, and with an audible _whoomp, _they vanished away into nothingness, all eyes focusing on the map Buffy had spread on the ground next to the bowl, their faces falling in unison when nothing happened.

"So much for that theory", the witch then mumbled, now sounding disappointed, "I wasn't sure it would work, but I was hoping for it…"

"We'll figure out another way to find them, then", Buffy reassured her, having heard the disappointment in her voice as well, "no worries, and it was worth a try."

"Indeed", Pat agreed, smiling at her partner as she came to her feet again and briefly, but reassuringly touching her arm, "don't be bothered by that too much."

"Guess it was too much of a long shot", Willow replied, smiling slightly again as well, to the relief of both women, "but how are we gonna find them now?"

"Good question", Buffy had to admit, looking at the demon afterwards, sounding hopeful when she went on. "You can't smell them and find them that way, right?"

"Not anymore", Pat sighed in reply, momentarily looking dismayed as well, "my nose is good, but not _that_ good."

"Pity", Willow commented, "guess we'll have to do old-fashioned detective work then… Maybe ask around at Willie's? We recommended that place to them after all, maybe…"

She trailed off as an unpleasant sound reached her ears, a low growling coming from the shadows all around them; obviously, Buffy and Pat had heard it as well, since they stiffened and glanced around, the demon automatically clenching her fists while next to her, the Slayer slid into a fighting stance.

"You think that's them?" the blonde then whispered to the taller woman, her eyes still darting back and forth as she tried to spot the source of the growls, "or their wild one?"

"I have no idea", the taller woman gave back, keeping her voice low as well, "but let's hope—"

The large, grey panther came rushing out of the shadows and leapt at Buffy, a startled cry escaping her when the beast's body slammed into hers and they both went down; pure reflex made her slam both hands against the shockingly big animal and push it back when it tried to bite, the strong jaws snapping together inches from her throat.

"Oh no, you don't", Buffy heard Pat growl right behind the panther – before the black haired woman, now in full demon form, snatched the beast from behind, managing to get her arms beneath the front paws and entwining her fingers behind the animal's neck as she jerked it back and upwards, away from Buffy.

Roaring in anger, the panther squirmed and struggled in her grasp, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how to handle this – after all, just killing the beast wasn't an option, not as long as they didn't know if it even was the member of the group of shapeshifters they were after, but just letting the animal go again wouldn't work out either, especially not since it was still growling and roaring at Buffy as the Slayer struggled her feet again, her eyes wide.

"We better knock that beast out", Pat panted at her, her muscles straining as the panther kept trying to break free, "quickly, before it—"

The large, grey head darted down and the teeth closed around her forearm, prompting her to let out a pained cry as they dug through her fur and deep into her flesh; and then, the panther's head snapped back again, tearing a large chunk of flesh out of her arm, another cry coming from her, but still she kept her grip on the panther, not wanting to know what would it do, should she let go of it.

"Willow!" Buffy called out, "the binding spell, quickly!" Hearing the blonde make that request tore the witch out of the brief shocked state she had gone into when she had seen her partner get bitten by the panther; nodding, she started mumbling the binding spell under her breath, only to be interrupted by a sharp female voice calling out "Stop! Don't harm her!", her concentration faltering as the words of the spell died on her lips.

Not sure if she should start over or just wait to see how that newcomer would help them handle this, she turned to look at the one who had called out to her, finding herself looking at a group of five, one of them being Alexia, two more women by her side and two men right behind them.

"Please!" the tallest of them now called out, "let go of her, she means no harm!"

"She bit me!" Pat protested, still keeping a firm hold of the thrashing beast, "and I'm not letting go of… her until she's been subdued!"

As if it had understood her, the panther snapped at her once more, making her groan this time when the teeth sank into her arm once again; and then, the small group had reached them, and one of the men dug into the pocket of his jacket, snapping at Pat to turn her head aside as his hand came back out clutching a fistful of grey powder, the demon quickly doing so, the panther roaring at the man in anger as he raised his hand and threw the powder into its face.

Another roar came from the animal, then it shuddered, growling and snarling as it clearly fought the effect the powder had had on her; and just a few moments later, the large body went limp, prompting Pat to let go of it and take a step back, the second bite in her arm healing with the usual fleshy noises while she glared at the small group.

"I think we deserve some answers now", she then stated, turning back to her human appearance the moment the wound had finished healing, glad that she had worn a shirt and pants wide enough to keep them from being torn to shreds during the change, "especially after you sent people to visit us in our homes without our consent and ask us phony questions."

"My girls told me of their rather… unsubtle ways", one of the women replied, making Willow wonder if this was the one Buffy and Pat had met earlier, "and I apologize for that, I should have told them that it is not common here to just walk into the home of someone you want to visit."

"Stuff your apologies up where the sun doesn't shine", Pat nearly spat in reply, "we don't like it to be made fools of, and that's just what you did, keeping things from us and sending people to us with idiotic questions!"

"Don't talk to her that way!" one of the men barked, stepping forward, the demon immediately focusing on him, snarling as she clenched her fists again, prompting Willow to move to her side quickly and place a hopefully reassuring hand on her back.

"Derek, wasn't it", Pat wanted to know, not letting it show if the touch was having any calming effect on her, "you wanna play the big alpha male again? I talk to her however the Hell I want."

"He's not our Alpha, I am", the woman who had apologized threw in, giving the man a sharp look and prompting him to step back again, "and surely you'll understand that I wanted to check out what kind of people exactly you are, not to mention the need to get a look at the witch. Nice to meet you, by the way, Willow, I'm Valeriana, I'm sure you've heard of me."

"Yeah", Willow gave back, still keeping her hand on her partner's back just in case, "and no offense, but Pat's right, we'd like some answers, and I don't like it either that you sent someone under a false pretence just to get a good look at us."

"I'm afraid we are not all too capable of dealing with regular humans, or demons who live as humans", Valeriana replied, giving her an apologetic look, "but all I can offer now are more apologies, and I'm under the impression that your mate has no interest in them."

"Damn right I don't", the demon answered before Willow could, "but what I am interested in are some answers, _now_."

"Didn't you figure it out already?" Valeriana wanted to know in reply, smiling pleasantly at her yet again, "this panther you just fought is the one we were after, responsible for the death of poor Harrison."

"Yeah, big surprise there", Pat grumbled, causing the witch to rub her back soothingly, glad when the taller woman finally reacted to her touch and glanced at her, smiling briefly at her, "but why would you want to check us out before you take care of that little panther-shaped problem?"

"To make sure you wouldn't make any trouble for us", Valeriana gave back, "but I can reassure you, our little meeting with you showed us that you are good people."

"Lucky us", Buffy now threw in, raising an eyebrow, "and you didn't notice that when I told you that I'm the Slayer and that it's my job to stop bad guys from eating innocent people?"

"We couldn't be sure that you are good at heart", the other woman pointed out in reply, "but now we know. And let me apologize once more for doing this, and for keeping information from you."

"So what is going on?" Buffy wanted to know, raising an eyebrow at the so-called Alpha woman, "and no more 'none of your business' or whatever, after your friend here attacked us, it is our business, and very much so."

"Yes", Valeriana nodded, to the surprise of the three women – they had been expecting her to protest again, after all, with yet another apology, "but we shouldn't talk about this here in a cemetery. Please, accept my invitation to our home."

"Valeriana!" Derek protested at once, not really surprising anyone this time, "you can't be serious, you want to take these to our home? One of them may be at least partly one of us, but the other two are just… humans!"

"I'm the Slayer", Buffy snapped, having enough of the man's attitude, "and Willow is one of the most powerful witches on the planet, if not the most powerful. So watch your tongue."

"Derek", Valeriana added with a sigh, "please, remember your place. I am the Alpha here, and if I invite them to our home, it is not your place to question it."

He bared his teeth in reply, but didn't try to protest again; Valeriana gave him another sharp look, then smiled at the three women once more and asked them if they were willing to come along, making them all nod after a moment of exchanging looks, the brunette's smile widening as she asked them to come along then, turning and walking off without another word, the witch, the Slayer and the demon hurrying after her and her small group a moment later.


	8. Chapter 8

"Fancy", Willow whispered to her partner and her best friend half an hour of walking later; Valeriana had led them to the outskirts of Sunnydale, to one of the mansions there which had been empty for years, the brunette now turning her head and smiling at the witch, with a twinkle in her eyes that signalled she had heard, even though Willow had tried to avoid just that.

"Please, be our guests", the Alpha woman now said, pushing the door open and gesturing at the small room behind it, "Derek, take our guests to the living room and offer them refreshments, alright?"

Clearly not happy with this, Derek grumbled in reply, but didn't protest again; instead, he told the three women to follow them, and they did so after a moment, unknowingly sharing the thought if this really had been such a good idea; on the other hand though, if the shapeshifters had been planning to kill them, they could have done so about a hundred times by now, especially if they all changed into such big and strong animals as the still unconscious panther two of them were carrying between them.

"Have a seat, please", the young man now distracted them from these ponderings, gesturing at the comfortable looking couches and chairs in the living room, "what would you like to drink? We have water and tea."

"Water's fine", Pat mumbled, making the other two nod; then, while Derek hurried off to get the drinks, Buffy sat down in one of the armchairs while Willow and Pat chose one of the couches, the redhead immediately grasping her partner's hand and holding it the moment they had made themselves comfortable.

"I wonder how many of them are here", Buffy mumbled, looking around, "did you count them when we ran into them the first time, Pat?"

"Yes", the demon gave back, fidgeting as she tried to figure out if she was allowed to smoke in the mansion or not, "there were eight. Five today."

"I counted them today, too", Buffy replied with a raised eyebrow, "no need to tell me that."

They both fell silent as Derek came back, carrying a large glass pitcher with water, ice cubes and a few slices of lemon in it, along with four glasses; he put them down on the table, then filled them before he retreated without another word, Valeriana joining them instead a few moments later.

"So", Buffy started as the brunette sat down, "spill the beans. What exactly is going on?"

"I was hoping we'd be able to solve this without any… outsiders interfering, no offense", Valeriana gave back, helping herself to one of the glasses and drinking from it, prompting the other three to do the same, "but unfortunately, now that you were attacked, it is understandable that you want to know what is happening here."

"Indeed", Willow nodded, "and you can be glad that your panther there only bit Pat, who's a demon, it'd be bad if she'd gotten Buffy or me and would have turned us into shapeshifters as well."

"Oh, it doesn't work that way", the brunette replied at once, making the three women give her surprised looks, "we are not like the werewolves, a bite from one of us is dangerous and painful, but it doesn't give the victim any of our abilities."

"Then how are you… made?" Pat wanted to know, frowning, "with a curse? Like me?"

"This is how the first one of us was made, centuries ago", Valeriana let her know, smiling at her again, "and then, his children had those abilities, and the children of his children, and so on. We are born as shapeshifters, and learn to control our abilities and our animal sides from the moment on we are old enough to think. Which is why the way Simone was behaving is very unsettling."

"Simone, the panther lady?" Buffy guessed in reply, making the brunette nod, a hint of regret in her voice when she spoke on. "Yes, exactly. She's one of two panthers in our group, the rest of us are wolves, which is why we refer to ourselves as pack and to our lovers as mates. There are many more of us where we usually live, but of course not all of us could come here, and since we wolves are the best at tracking…"

"And the other panther who came along?" Pat asked, raising an eyebrow, "he's that Simone's mate then?"

"Yes", Valeriana nodded at once, "we are hoping that his presence will help to calm her down again, even though our hopes are not high. It's been centuries since one of us has gone wild like this."

"So what will you do with her now?" Buffy wanted to know, frowning, "when we met the first time, you spoke of neutralizing her, if I remember correctly."

"Indeed I did", Valeriana nodded, taking another sip of her drink before she went on, "but I did not mean that we will kill her, if this is what you fear. What is happening to her is not her fault, and we need to find out what exactly is the cause of this behaviour."

"You didn't happen to mess around with a demon named Malphas, right?" Willow asked, shrugging when the brunette gave her a confused look and smiling at her lopsidedly as she quickly explained the reason for her question.

"Oh", Valeriana said after she had finished the brief tale, looking at Pat, "interesting. You must have felt quite bad after this."

"Oh I did", the demon confirmed, remembering how she had broken down crying in her partner's arms and grimacing at the memory, "it was very unpleasant, believe me. I suppose your Simone will feel the same way, if you manage to… cure her."

"Maybe I can help with that", Willow threw in before the Alpha woman of the pack could reply anything, "if you let me check on her, maybe I can do something for her with my magic, you know, Buffy didn't exaggerate when she told you how powerful I am."

"This is one of the reasons why we invited you here", Valeriana admitted in reply, "when we found out that Simone ran off to Sunnydale, we of course checked for any possible allies here, and the three of you were the first and most interesting thing we found."

"I get the feeling you knew a lot more about us than we still know about you", Pat grumbled, clearly not liking this, "and if you knew that we might be capable of helping you out, why didn't you ask us in the first place, but told us it's none of our business?"

"Wolves are very proud", Valeriana admitted in reply, "and so are panthers. Don't even get me started on the other cats, or on how crazy hyenas can be. Anyway, back to your question, it's not easy for us to ask for help, but when we realized that, even if we should be able to capture Simone, we might not be able to help her, we realized we have no other choice."

"And still you waited until I offered it", Willow shook her head, "what if I hadn't done that?"

"Then I would have been forced to ask you, which is quite hard for me", Valeriana admitted, fidgeting on her seat a bit uncomfortably, "so I'm very glad that you offered your help before I had to do so. Thank you."

"Don't thank me too early", Willow replied with a sigh, "I'm not sure yet if I can help her. What exactly happened before she went wild? Anything unusual?"

"No", Valeriana shook her head, "nothing. She just shifted one day, as we do regularly to keep up the control after the transformation, if one doesn't shift for too long, the animal might take over after the change, and then she just… went wild. As if she hadn't changed in years. Is it the same for you, Pat?"

"No", the demon replied at once, "there are times when I don't demon out in months, but it doesn't make a difference. I don't change into an animal, exactly, though, so…"

"Which is why Derek refuses to fully accept you as one of us", Valeriana rolled her eyes, briefly making the other three women smirk at her obvious annoyance, "please forgive his continued hostility against you, but he's quite conservative about this topic."

"I can handle him", Pat shrugged, "no worries, but just a word of warning, if he decides to attack me some day, I won't hold back."

"He won't attack you", Valeriana replied at once, sounding a bit startled about the fact that the demon might think that, "I am the Alpha of this group, and as long as he doesn't have my permission, he won't attack anyone."

"You really have the whole wolf thing going, eh", Pat commented, smirking slightly, "Alphas, pack, mates…"

"It has been this way for centuries", the brunette shrugged in reply, "and we don't see a reason to change it. Now, if all your questions have been answered, shall we go and see if you can do anything for Simone, Willow?"

"Sure", the witch agreed after exchanging a quick look with both her partner and Buffy, "let's go then."

Smiling again, Valeriana got up from her seat, letting the small group know that they could take their drinks along if they wanted; they all picked up their glasses in reply, then the brunette asked them to follow her and led them out of the living room and downstairs into the big cellar of the mansion, the three women exchanging uneasy looks as they wondered what might await them there now.


	9. Chapter 9

The panther was still out cold when Valeriana led the small group into the room where the animal had been taken; the beast laid on her side in a cage, the massive chest rising and falling slowly as she slumbered deeply, the paws twitching every now and then.

"Silver", Valeriana explained as she noticed Willow eying the cage, "it will stop her from breaking the bars and escaping."

"You have that in common with werewolves then", the redhead remarked as she moved closer to the cage and studied the sleeping panther, "they don't like silver either."

"Indeed", the brunette agreed, watching how she approached the cage, "silver is quite harmful to us. This cage has been built decades ago, and I'm glad about it, no one of us would have been happy if we'd been forced to do it."

"Why do you have a decade-old silver cage if none of you has gone wild for centuries?" Buffy wanted to know, frowning slightly; moving her attention to her, Valeriana smiled pleasantly again, then explained that, even though no shapeshifters had gone wild, there still were some which had committed other crimes, and that locking them up in such cages was the appropriate punishment.

"Makes sense", the Slayer had to admit, then a low growl came from the cage and distracted them all, making them glance over, Pat feeling slightly nervous as she watched her partner so close to the cage, studying the panther which had gone from deeply asleep to fully awake within seconds and held her gaze, baring sharp teeth at her and growling lowly.

"Sweetie, be careful", the demon mumbled, fidgeting as she didn't like this at all, "don't get too close…"

"No worries", Willow reassured her, briefly glancing at her and giving her a smile; then, she took another step closer to the cage and lowered herself into a crouch in front of it, holding the panther's gaze as she focused, giving her best to channel her magic, hoping that some of the techniques she had learned during her last stay in England would help her to figure out what was wrong with the shapeshifter.

"Please stay calm", she mumbled under her breath, still looking the panther in the eye, "I don't want to harm you…" Slowly, carefully, she reached out with her magic, directing it towards the animal; and seconds later, just as contact was made, the beast let out a roar and threw herself against the cage bars, the fur sizzling and smoking where it had made contact with the silver.

Obviously, this didn't stop the panther though, as she roared again and threw herself against the bars once more; they trembled dangerously, but still Willow didn't move back, keeping the magic up, fine pearls of sweat forming on her brow and trickling down her cheeks as she tried to not let the contact break, knowing she had to figure out what was wrong with the woman first.

Behind her, Pat fidgeted again, fighting the urge to rush over, grab her and pull her away; and then, the door at the other end of the room flew open, hitting the wall with a bang, the unexpected noise startling Willow enough to cause her concentration to break, sharp pain racing through her head when the magical connection was severed so abruptly. With a small pained noise, she ended up slumping backwards on her behinds, her hands coming up to clutch at her head; she heard Pat call out her name, but before she could react in any way, a loud growl came from the stairway, followed by a gasp from Valeriana.

"Alexia!" the brunette then snapped, prompting the redhead to force her eyes open and to look into the direction the noise had come from, "what is the meaning of this?"

In response, the shockingly large, grey wolf just growled again, saliva dripping from the sharp and pointy teeth and to the stone floor, the fur at the wolf's neck bristling as she stared at the group, Valeriana taking a step back when her gaze met the one of the other shapeshifter.

"Not her, too", she whispered, sounding so stunned that it made both Buffy and Pat look at her in surprise; and then, the wolf roared again and shot forward, teeth bared and claws glistening, and chaos broke loose in the small room.

* * *

As if a wild wolf wasn't enough of a challenge, several more came bounding down the stairs, along with a panther even bigger than the one in the cage, Willow still thinking clear enough despite all the chaos to figure out that this had to be Simone's mate, then the panther slammed into the wolf which had been Alexia before the change, the two animals rolling over the floor in a mess of teeth, growls and claws.

"Don't hurt her!" Valeriana called out, sounding panicked, "it's not her fault!" The panther involved in the fight didn't react, but the others did, forming a lose circle around the fighting animals; Buffy and Pat exchanged a worried glance, then the demon transformed as well, joining the fight a few moments later, without the intention to hurt anyone, but just eager to break it up.

"Be careful!", Willow called out, then flinched as the panther in the cage behind her threw herself against the bars yet again; she roared, either in anger or pain, when her fur kept sizzling and smoking, but still didn't let this stop her, slamming her body against the bars once more, the other wolves in the room perking up when one of the bars fell to the stone floor with a loud clang moments later.

Still busy with finding a way to break up the fight before anyone got hurt, Pat didn't notice any of this; she just registered with the back of her mind that a bunch of wolves bounded past her, then the enraged Alexia snapped at her and she had to focused on her again, growling lowly when the wolf's teeth closed around her lower leg, blood soon dripping from the limb and to the concrete ground.

With another snarl, Pat jerked her leg back, not caring that thus, a chunk of flesh got torn out by the sharp teeth, knowing it would heal again within seconds anyway; and it did, the demon growling again as she threw her whole weight down on the raging animal, the panther still smart enough to help by doing the same, both of them managing to pin the wolf beneath them, even though she kept roaring and snapping, her teeth sinking into the taller woman's flesh again and again, not even caring where she bit her.

Hoping that her healing abilities wouldn't go into overload again and stop working, as they tended to do whenever she received too many injuries in a too short span of time, Pat kept holding on to the wolf, hoping that one of the other shapeshifters would be smart enough to knock Alexia out with the powder they had used for Simone earlier; and seconds later, one of them, back to his human form, came rushing over and threw the powder into the wolf's face, an enraged howl coming from her before she let out a low snarl and then went limb, the powder taking effect as quickly as it had when it had been used on Simone.

Breathing heavily, Pat slowly dared to let go of the wolf, feeling blood trickle down her back from a bite in her shoulder, grimacing to herself when she realized it wouldn't heal anytime soon; she had a moment to ask herself how often exactly that wolf had managed to bite her before it had been knocked out, then she turned to look at the rest of the group, wanting to ask them if they were okay, the words dying on her lips though when she spotted the familiar figure lying flat on her back, close to the cage – from which several of the bars where missing – next to the knocked out panther.

"No", the demon brought out in a trembling voice, changing back to her human form without even fully noticing what she was doing, "no… Willow!"

And with those words, she rushed to where the witch had fallen down, taking in her pale face, her closed eyes and the blood pooling beneath her; she couldn't see how bad she had been hurt, the injuries in her back hidden from sight as she laid on them, but her facial colour and the amount of blood showed that it had to be bad.

Without caring about the blood, Pat slumped down on her knees next to her partner, already digging through her pockets for the small bag of powder she had to use for the spell which would let Willow borrow her healing – when suddenly, Buffy was there and grabbed her arm, shaking her head the moment the demon looked at her.

"You can't do that", she then explained, her gaze darting back and forth between her friend and the redhead, "you got hurt so bad yourself during that fight, I saw it all, if that opens up again…"

"I don't care!" Pat snapped at once, the response not really surprising the Slayer, "I can't just let her… just look at her!"

"You can't do this!" Buffy repeated in reply, grasping her arm harder to keep her from finding the powder, "do you think she'd want this?" Without giving the demon a chance to reply, she looked at Valeriana, her voice cold and sharp when she went on, showing how hard she was fighting to hold back her own anger.

"Help her!" she almost commanded, ignoring it when the other wolves and the panther changed back to people again now that the threat was over, for the moment, "can't you heal, as well? Help her!"

"We can't give our healing", Valeriana replied, in a trembling voice, "believe me, we've tried, through centuries… Let me look at how bad it is…"

With those words, she knelt down next to the unconscious redhead, taking careful hold of her shoulders and rolling her over; next to her, she heard how Pat let out a strangled sound at the sight of the deep gashes which ran all the way from her shoulder blades to the small of her back, making it obvious that the panther had jumped her from behind and had dug her claws into the redhead's back when she had gotten out of the cage.

"I'm sorry", a familiar voice now came from the demon's other side, prompting her to look over, her gaze meeting Derek's, the young man looking at her with a mixture of pity and shame, "I tried to be fast enough, I really did, but I wasn't…"

He kept holding her gaze, waiting for her to say something; after a few more moments, she looked back at her partner without a word, unable to keep her eye away from the torn flesh of the witch's back, blood still seeping from the gashes and trickling down her sides to the ground.

"We have to help her", said the man who clearly was Simone's mate, as his animal form had shown, "Valeriana, you know we have to, maybe we should try the tank…"

"The tank is made for our kind, Oliver", Valeriana replied, looking up at him, "we can't know what effect it will have on her."

"It can't get worse and you know that", Oliver argued back, "and if it helps to keep her alive, at least until this demon here can give her the healing powers she possesses, it's more than enough, right?"

"Do it", Buffy threw in before the Alpha woman could reply anything, "or we'll have to take her to the hospital, now, and I imagine you wouldn't want that, might be hard to explain how she got those wounds without giving you guys away." This wasn't the only reason why she wanted the shapeshifters to help Willow, instead of taking her to the hospital; if they did so, it'd be harder to have Pat perform the spell which would give her healing powers to the witch, even though they had done something similar in a hospital before, but judging from the amount of blood on the ground, Buffy wasn't even sure if the redhead would hold on until she'd be at the hospital, not even wanting to know if any organs had been injured by the panther's attack.

"…fine", Valeriana mumbled after holding the blonde's gaze for a while, "let's get her in the tank then…" And with those words, she carefully moved the witch on her back again, then tried to pick her up; before she could do so though, a low growl came from her right, and when she looked over, her gaze met Pat's, the demon merely giving her a hard look before she almost shouldered her aside, picking the injured redhead up on her arms moments later.

"Lead the way", she then told the brunette with another low growl; nodding, Valeriana came to her feet and led them back to the door, the taller woman following close behind with the unconscious Willow in her arms and Buffy by her side, both of them unable to take their gaze off the injured woman's face, hoping with all their heart that whatever exactly that tank they had been talking about was, it would at least keep her alive until the spell to borrow Pat's healing could be performed.


	10. Chapter 10

"Vital signs are stable", Oliver commented half an hour later, looking at the small monitor next to the large tank, which was filled almost to the brim with a strangely light blue liquid; and suspended in said liquid, Willow was floating, only in her underwear now, a transparent oxygen mask over her mouth and nose making sure she could breathe, small pads on her chest wirelessly connected to the monitor the panther-man was looking at, showing how steady her heart was beating.

"That's quite high-tech", Buffy remarked, looking at the whole setup, "how does it work for you guys?"

"It supports our healing abilities", Oliver explained in reply, turning to look at her and smiling at her, managing to look friendly despite his angular, sharp face, the slightly too large and too white teeth he exposed when he smiled and the thick, bushy black eyebrows, "but since they might differ from the way regular humans heal, it was a bit of a risk to put her in there. Seems to be working out fine though. We only use it when we get dreadfully injured, so badly that our healing abilities can't handle it."

"We should get one of these", Buffy told Pat in an attempt to lighten the mood, now that it was clear Willow wouldn't die anytime soon; to her dismay though, her try didn't work out, the demon just letting out a low grunt as she sat on a chair a few feet away from her, with Derek standing at her side and trying to take care of the bite she hadn't been able to heal anymore.

"So how long does she have to stay in there?" Valeriana wanted to know, looking at the demon curiously; shrugging, and making Derek curse with the movement as he nearly ended up dropping the cotton wad soaked with iodine he had been dabbing at the bite with, Pat glanced at her, giving her best to sound normal when she replied. "Twenty-four hours. Then I can give my healing to her without risking that my own wounds open up again."

"Interesting", Valeriana gave back, "we've tried to find ways to do this, but it never worked for us. This is why our healers came up with this tank."

"Good thing you did", Buffy nodded, watching how Derek finished cleaning the wound and asked Pat to raise her arm so he could bandage her up, "or we might have been in trouble here."

"We still are", Derek mumbled, wrapping the bandage around the taller woman's shoulder and chest to make sure it would stay there, "because we only brought one cage, and it's broken now. Valeriana, what are we gonna do about Alexia and Simone now?"

"I'm not sure yet", Valeriana sighed in reply, looking from the tank to the young man, "I thought about chaining them up with silver chains, but this will do them harm. So will keeping them knocked out though."

"I can keep them knocked out", Oliver threw in, making them all look at him, "as I suggested when we first came here and found Simone in the cemetery. You should have let me do so immediately instead of using a decade-old cage, you saw how that ended."

"Do not question me", Valeriana snapped at him in reply, "you know I only did that I thought is best for Simone!"

"And it ended with her nearly killing that poor girl", Oliver shot back, glaring at her, "you may be the Alpha, Valeriana, but that doesn't mean that you never make mistakes, and you should admit it when you did just that!"

"Watch your tongue", the Alpha woman nearly snarled in reply, "you are not allowed to speak to me this way!"

"But I am", Pat now added her two cents, getting up from her chair even though Derek hadn't finished bandaging her up yet, the ends of the bandage dangling loosely from her chest, "because I'm not part of your little pack here, and if you had listened to this guy, Willow never would have gotten hurt!"

"I apolo—", Valeriana started, only to yelp as a second later, she found herself pushed up against the wall, stunned by the speed with which the taller woman had moved, now having the collar of her blouse in a firm grasp as she held her up against the cold stone, her feet dangling over the floor, scrabbling against the smooth stone in an unsuccessful try to gain some foothold.

"If you apologize one more time, I'll rip your head off", the demon snarled at her, her good eye now glowing bright red, smoke curling from her fists, showing how angry she was, "so keep your useless words to yourself, you've fucked up enough!"

Not sure how the rest of the pack would react to this, Buffy's gaze kept flickering back and forth between Oliver and Derek; to her relief and slight surprise though, the panther-man did nothing, just focusing on the monitor connected to the tank again, and while Derek looked a bit uneasy, he didn't try to stop Pat, either.

"Put me down", Valeriana now snarled at her, holding her gaze, her own eyes briefly flashing up yellow, "even if you are not part of our pack, you have no right to treat me like this!"

"Oh, I have every right to do just that", the black haired woman growled back at her, tightening her grip on the brunette's collar when she started struggling again, "because if you had listened to your buddy over there, this whole mess would have been avoided, and you know that!"

"Well, you wouldn't let me apologize!" the Alpha woman argued back – before her eyes suddenly narrowed and, instead of scrambling for a foothold, her whole body went tense as she gathered enough energy to kick the taller woman, doing just that a moment later, her foot connecting with the demon's knee and making her yelp, to the shapeshifter's dismay not letting go of her though.

"Pat, put her down", Buffy finally decided to step in, before anyone could get seriously hurt, "this isn't leading anywhere, and you know that getting into a fight with her won't help Willow."

For a few more moments, the demon kept the struggling Valeriana in her grip, smoke still curling from her fists as she kept growling lowly in the back of her throat; and then, she finally let her go and took a step back, still glaring at her, but the smoke to Buffy's relief fading away and her eye returning to the normal blue colour as the red glow slowly died.

"Well", the Alpha woman stated, straightening her clothes and giving the demon an annoyed look, "now that this is out of the way, I suggest we go back upstairs and discuss our next steps."

"You can do that", Pat gave back at once, her next words not really surprising Buffy, "but I'm not going anywhere."

"Excuse me?" Valeriana wanted to know, giving her an indignant look, "surely you don't mean to say that you'll stay here in this room for the next twenty-four hours?"

"This is exactly what I'm saying", the taller woman replied without missing a beat, "I'm not going anywhere until we can Willow out of this tank and heal her."

"Don't try to change her mind", Buffy threw in before the brunette could reply anything, "I know her, she won't leave that room until Willow's fine again, and to be honest, I'd prefer it this way too, with her out cold and now two wild shapeshifters in this house with us."

"Suit yourself then", Valeriana grumbled after a moment, glaring at the demon, clearly not liking it to have people around who didn't immediately fulfil every command she gave them, "we'll inform you once we came up with a solution, then."

"You do that", Pat agreed amiably enough, grabbing the chair she had been sitting on earlier and moving it closer to the tank; after she had sat down there, Derek still took the time to finish knotting her bandage, then the rest of the group left the room, the demon remaining where she was, watching the tank in silence as the minutes ticked by, her gaze flickering from the lifeless form of the witch to the monitor every now and then, making sure that her heart kept beating steadily and her breathing was regular, silently pleading her to hold on until the spell to heal her could be performed.


	11. Chapter 11

Pat had no idea how long she already had been sitting there, dozing off every now and then as the excitement of the day took its toll on her, when the door behind her opened and Derek stepped into the room; he gave her a slightly shy smile when she jerked awake in her seat at the noise, then blinked at him, sitting up straight when she recognized him.

"Valeriana sent me", he explained as her gaze met his, "they're having dinner upstairs, she wants to know if you want to have some brought down here or if you'll join them upstairs?"

"Down here", the demon replied at once, telling him what he had been expecting to hear, "I told her, I'm not going anywhere until Willow's fine again."

"I understand", Derek nodded at once, giving her another smile afterwards, "the bond between my mate and me was just as strong as the one between the witch and you… I wouldn't have let him go to search for Simone alone, but Valeriana wouldn't allow me to come with him…"

"You really have that whole pack thing down, huh", Pat commented in reply, raising an eyebrow, "she says something, and her word is the law?"

"Kind of", Derek let her know, briefly glancing at the still unconscious woman in the tank before he focused on the demon again, "she's our Alpha. Oliver and Simone aren't really under her command, not back home, they have their own, but as long as we are here, she's the leader for all of us."

"Am I glad we don't have that hierarchy here", Pat pondered as an answer, "I don't think I'd deal too well with the whole 'You do as I say and no talking back' thing."

"I figured", Derek replied with a slight smile, "you don't seem like the type to take orders. To be honest, that surprised us all, when we came here, we thought you are pack as well, with the Slayer as your leader."

"Well, she kinda is", Pat admitted, "but not the way Valeriana leads you guys, we can question her and she's listening when we have better ideas. Anyway, how come she sent you down here, isn't she afraid we're gonna rip each other's throat out?"

This change of topic obviously took the young man aback, since he blinked a few times, then cleared his throat, to the slight amusement of the demon; then, he coughed audibly once more before he replied, his sincere words making her smile once more. "Not anymore, after how you jumped into that fight which technically didn't even concern you, I have too much respect for you to attack you again."

"Well, that's good to know", the demon replied, "I guess we won't be best friends anytime soon, but I can live with mutual respect."

To her surprise, he looked dismayed for a moment, then smiled again and nodded, letting her know afterwards that he'd go and get her dinner then; she nodded as well, leaning back into the chair again, her gaze once more focusing on the tank while Derek left the room, closing the door behind himself.

For a bit longer, the black haired woman remained in her seat, watching her partner float in the blue liquid; then, she got up at last as she felt quite stiff by now and moved closer to the tank, a small sigh escaping her as she studied Willow's lifeless form, thankful that at least, the deep gashes in her back were kept out of sight, not wanting to get another look at how badly she had been wounded by the panther.

Momentarily, she wondered what had been done with Alexia and Simone now, then shrugged it off, telling herself that surely, the others had taken care of it; and then, the door opened once more and Derek came back, accompanied by Buffy this time, the young man carrying a tray with a plate and cutlery on it, the smell of steak and mashed potatoes reaching the taller woman's nose and making her mouth water as she realized how hungry she actually was.

"We got done with making plans upstairs", Buffy explained as she moved to the second chair in the room and sat down while Derek put the tray on the table, then excused himself again and left the two women alone, "so I figured I might as well keep you company."

"That's nice", Pat smirked at her, moving her chair closer to the table so she could eat; and the moment she moved the first forkful of meat into her mouth, Buffy spoke up again, her words nearly making the demon choke on the food. "Also, I don't wanna be alone upstairs there with a bunch of shapeshifters. Something's fishy about them."

"Well, that's kinda out of nowhere", the taller woman gave back once she had managed to get the steak down the right pipe and didn't end up with a coughing fit, "what makes you say that?"

"I don't even know", Buffy sighed out, watching how the demon shovelled more food into her mouth, "just my Slayer sense tingling or something. At least about one of them, there's something a bit off, but I can't put my finger on what… or on whom."

"Well, with that whole Alexia-suddenly-going-wild-thing, I get the feeling too that one of them is responsible", Pat let her know, looking towards the tank momentarily again before she went on. "If it's one of them though, we'll have a hard time figuring out who, what with the whole pack mentality they have going on. I doubt they'd rattle one of them out to us."

"Oliver's not part of the pack though", Buffy pointed out as an answer, smirking slightly, "he told me that. He just came along because his mate was the first one to go wild, and he has to listen to Valeriana as long as they are here, but once they are back to their… territory, she has nothing to say anymore about what he can and can't do."

"That whole pack thing is so weird", the demon replied, shaking her head, "and they actually thought that we're like that, too, that you're our Alpha lady or whatever."

"I know, Oliver told me", the Slayer smirked, "in fact, he was quite talkative while Valeriana wasn't around. He's not all too happy with how she handled things so far."

"No surprise, seeing how it all just got worse", Pat shook her head, briefly glancing at the tank once more, "now, they have one dead shapeshifter, two wild ones instead of the one they were initially dealing with, and a badly hurt witch, which resulted in a pissed-off demon."

"I think Valeriana noticed how pissed off you were", Buffy dryly gave back, making the taller woman smirk slightly; the blonde smiled back at her, then glanced at the tank as well, her gaze briefly flickering to the monitor before she went on. "We should keep our guard up around them though, just to be on the safe side. Who knows what they might come up with."

"Especially if one of them is responsible", Pat nodded her agreement, "they wouldn't want us to find out then."

"Indeed", Buffy sighed, glancing towards the door uneasily as she thought of a bunch of shapeshifters upstairs, remembering how strong and agile they had been during the short fight she had witnessed; then, she shrugged those worries off, telling herself that it wouldn't help to make herself paranoid and focusing on the tank once more, grimacing slightly when she saw her best friend float in there, still unconscious.

"Sixteen hours left, then I can heal her", Pat's voice distracted her from studying the lifeless body, "I just hope that tank will keep her alive until then."

"Seems to work out just fine so far, at least", Buffy gave back, looking at the demon again, "even though I wonder why she doesn't wake up…"

"Who knows what that blue stuff is", the taller woman sighed in reply, suddenly not wanting the food on her plate anymore as she looked at her unconscious partner again, "maybe it's keeping her knocked out. I just hope she's not in pain…"

"You know it's not your fault, right", the blonde carefully asked in reply, well aware of the demon's tendencies to blame herself whenever something happened to Willow; in response, Pat let out another sigh, then looked at her again, her dismayed face already being all the answer Buffy had needed before she even could say something.

"Don't", the Slayer almost ordered before she actually could do so, "it's not your fault. You were quite busy with keeping Alexia from tearing us all apart, remember?"

"Yeah", Pat mumbled after a moment, keeping a comment about how she might just as well have left Alexia to her pack companions and could have focused on keeping Willow safe to herself, knowing that Buffy would have an answer to that, as well; the blonde gave her a brief smile and reached over the table to reassuringly touch her arm, then they both glanced at the tank again, trying to figure out if the witch was in pain or not, and hoping that the strange blue liquid would keep her alive until it'd be time to heal her.


	12. Chapter 12

Since Pat refused to even leave the cellar room to get some sleep, Valeriana, after a short and useless discussion, had a camping bed brought down for her; and on that, she spent the night, the room illuminated by the gentle glow of the blue liquid which had become visible once the lights had been switched off, making her wonder what more what exactly the shapeshifters had filled the tank with.

For a while, she pondered if that glow would keep her from going to sleep, as if her worry for her partner hadn't been enough to accomplish that; then, she did drift off after a while, into a light slumber, only to wake up again and again at the smallest noises, the continuously interrupted sleep making her quite glad about her demon side – after all, thanks to that, she didn't need as many hours of rest as regular humans to function properly.

After a while, she gave up on trying to fall asleep and sat up on the creaking bed, finding her cigarettes and lighting one of them up; the shapeshifters hadn't made any comments to her about her smoking so far, and even though they hadn't provided her with an ashtray, she figured they were okay with it, just using a glass half-filled with water instead, watching the tank as she sat there and smoked in silence. Now that the room was dark and quiet, she could hear the soft sloshing sounds the strange blue stuff inside it produced every now and then, along with the soft hissing noises coming from the oxygen mask which helped the witch breathe; she held back another sigh, then finished her smoke and dropped the cigarette into the glass to put it out before she laid back down again, staring up at the ceiling as she waited for sleep to take her.

Just when she got close to drifting off once more, the sloshing sounds from the tank increased, prompting her to roll over so she could gaze at it; and moments later, her heart skipped a beat as her gaze met Willow's, the expression in the witch's eyes scared and pained and close to panic, making it obvious to the demon that she had no idea where she was and why she had been put there.

"No", she quickly said while scrambling to her feet and seeing her partner reach for the oxygen mask, "don't take that off, it's okay, this stuff is helping you, it's okay…" For a few seconds, she wasn't even sure if Willow could hear her, not wanting to imagine what might happen if she didn't and removed the mask; then, the witch's hand fell back to her side, and she just floated there, looking a bit calmer now as she had realized that Pat was with her and that the weird stuff she had been put in wasn't harming her.

"It's okay", the demon repeated, moving closer to the tank and giving her a hopefully calming smile, "we put you in there until I can give my healing to you, it's okay…"

In response, Willow held her gaze for a few moments, making her realize in the back of her mind that she had taken off the eyepatch before laying down to sleep, then shrugging it off since she knew the redhead wasn't freaked out by the empty, scarred socked usually hidden beneath it; and moments later, this was fully forgotten as the witch started to move upwards, prompting her to cry out "No, no!", only to have Willow ignore her and keep going until she could grasp the edge of the tank and pull at least her head over the surface.

"Sweetie, I'm not sure that's a good idea", Pat scolded while her girlfriend moved the oxygen mask up so she could talk, "we don't even know how that stuff works, who knows what will happen now?"

"Nothing bad", Willow replied at once, with a surprisingly strong voice, even managing a slight smile, "I felt it the moment I woke up, it's magic, as long as the wounds are covered, nothing will happen."

"Are you sure?" the demon wanted to know, giving her another concerned glance, "cause if not, you better go under again, or I swear I'll push you."

"That's not nice", Willow admonished with another smile, glad when the taller woman smiled back after a moment, "and yes, I am sure. I'm the witch here after all, remember?"

"Yeah, the witch with horribly deep gashes in her back", Pat argued back, clearly not willing to accept this so fast, "doesn't holding on to the edge like that hurt?"

"No", the redhead reassured her, smiling slightly, touched by her concern, "the magic in that blue stuff numbs it, I barely feel them all. Just a tiny bit."

"Fine then", the demon sighed after another moment, stepping as close as possible to the tank and placing her hands on the witch's, causing her smile to widen, "you won't give in anyway. And I'm glad you're awake, and not in pain…"

"So am I", Willow reassured her, "I still remember how it felt when those claws went down my back, it was as if someone set me on fire, so I'm glad that magic stuff numbs it so well."

"Setting on fire, not a good frame of reference for me", Pat smirked, making her giggle slightly as she realized that this was true, "but I get what you mean. Poor you, but you'll be fine again, right when twenty-four hours are up, I'm gonna give my healing to you."

"I know", the witch smiled, enjoying the feeling of her partner's bigger and much rougher hands on hers, the only contact they could maintain as long as she was stuck in that tank, "and I'm glad you didn't do it right after I got hurt, before that panther took me down, I saw that Alexia bit you quite a few times."

"Often enough actually to make my healing go into overload", Pat admitted with a sigh, gesturing at the bandage wrapped around her shoulder and chest; to her relief, the bite didn't hurt too badly at the moment, but she knew that this would change the moment she moved too much, not letting this knowledge stop her tough from grasping her partner's hands again while Willow gave her a worried look.

"Are you sure you should give me your healing then?" she wanted to know, frowning as she glanced at the bandage and the few by now rusty brown stains which marred the white fabric, "what if it's too soon and it all opens up again?"

"Nah", Pat replied with her usual confidence, "usually, if it goes into overload, two to three hours is enough to have it… um, recharge, I suppose. So it'll be fine, technically, I could demon out now and heal it, but I won't cause then we'll only have to wait longer until we can heal you."

"If you're sure about this, fine", Willow nodded after a moment, "and now come closer, so I can steal a kiss from you."

"You know I always give them freely", Pat smirked in reply, then leaned closer until her lips met Willow's; closing her eyes, the redhead moved one hand from the edge of the tank to her partner's neck, a content sigh escaping her as the kiss deepened, making her feel so good that she even forgot about the slight pain she still had felt in her back moments before.

"I love you", the demon mumbled after they had pulled apart again, reaching up with one hand to caress her cheek tenderly, "and I'm really glad you'll be okay… I got so scared when I saw you lying on the ground back there, with all that blood…"

"I love you, too", Willow let her know at once, smiling, "and I'm sorry for scaring you, I should have been paying more attention to what that panther was doing behind me…"

"Did you figure anything out?" Pat wanted to know in reply, even though she was aware that maybe, this wasn't the best time to ask, "or are you gonna have to do it again once you're fine?"

"I felt… something", Willow gave back, frowning slightly to herself as she tried to remember what exactly she had picked up when she had been magically connected to the panther, "her energies were… disturbed, but I couldn't figure out by what… I'll need to check again once I'm out of this tank."

"Let's hope you won't be interrupted again", the taller woman smirked, "both Buffy and me still think that one of the shapeshifters is responsible, so who knows what they might come up with."

"You are probably right", Willow had to admit in reply, frowning to herself as she thought about the unpleasant implications of this, "maybe I should insist to be alone with the animals the next time I try…"

"Yeah, so they can eat you easier in case something goes wrong with keeping them knocked out", Pat said with a roll of her good eye, "we can ask the shapeshifters to stay away, but I'm gonna be right there by your side."

"Sounds good", Willow smirked, then pulled her close for another kiss; afterwards, the demon suggested that they both should get some more rest, sure that she'd sleep easier now that her loved one had woken up and been surprisingly alright, making the witch nod – before she pulled the oxygen mask back on and let herself sink back into the blue liquid, closing her eyes as it surrounded her fully again. Pat took a few more moments to watch her, then finally made her way back to the camping bed and laid down on it; and a minute later, she was fast asleep, the room falling quiet as they both slumbered peacefully, the taller woman's concerns and worries for the moment forgotten.

* * *

"Okay, careful now", Pat stated in the next day, right the moment the twenty-four hour timespan had passed, Oliver moving to her side to help her with getting Willow out of the tank unharmed; nodding, the witch pulled herself up at the edge of the tank, then grasped the hands Oliver and Pat were holding out to her, the two helping her to move over the edge and then lowering her to the ground carefully, the demon keeping one arm around her waist just in case as she led her to the camping bed and asked her to sit down there.

"Alright", she then stated, digging through her pockets again for the small leather bag filled with powder, "I'll do the spell now, and no protesting, you'll need your strength for later."

To her relief, Willow just nodded, the gashes in her back aching much more now that she was out of the blue liquid; she gave her best to control her breathing and to hide her pain from the demon and the shapeshifter in the room with her while Pat finally found the powder and poured some of it on the palm of her hand, then grasped one of Willow's with the other one, Oliver watching and listening with interest when she started the chant a few seconds later.

The moment she had said the last word and had blown heartily on the powder, making sure she wouldn't cause it to fly right into Willow's face, her free hand flamed up, causing Oliver to let out an audible gasp; and then, the gashes in the witch's back slowly started to heal with audible fleshy noises, a low groan coming from the redhead at how unpleasant this was feeling.

"Almost there", she heard Pat mumble, her grip on the demon's hand tightening in response; and a few moments later, the gashes had closed up fully and she quickly let go of her partner, not wanting to take any more of her strength than absolutely necessary, letting out a heavy breath as she still felt the pain in her back, telling herself that it'd fade away after a while.

"This is astounding", Oliver said, sounding awed, "we never managed to find a way how to borrow our healing to others, and you do it so easily…"

"Not that easily", Pat corrected him at once, smiling slightly at him while the flames on her hand died out slowly, "if I do that too early after healing myself, it's all undone, so the wounds open up again. That's quite painful and nasty."

"I imagine", Oliver grimaced, then made a vague gesture at her eyepatch, sounding curious when he went on. "And your healing couldn't deal with that?"

"No", the demon sighed, not liking to be reminded of this, "it just healed the empty socket, but it didn't make the eye grow back."

"Guys?" Willow threw in before the young man could reply anything to that, "it's nice you're talking and bonding and all, but do you think you could find me some clothes? I don't wanna parade my underwear to a bunch of shapeshifters both male and female, you know."

"Oh, of course, sorry", Oliver gave back at once, smiling at her, "we took the liberty to grab some of Alexia's clothes for you, they should fit and, well, she doesn't really need them at the moment, so she won't mind."

With those words, he bent down and picked up the plastic bag he had brought, handing it to the witch before he excused himself; briefly, Willow wondered why, since he already had seen her in her underwear after all, then she peered into the bag and saw the reason for it – he also had provided her with fresh underwear, and now she was glad that he had left, not wanting to change that in front of him, as well.

Clearly having no such qualms, Pat just sat down on the chair she had used the previous day again and dug out her cigarettes, lighting one of them up while her partner critically eyed the garments the man had brought for her; to her relief, it was quite a simple selection, a black t-shirt with a neckline a bit lower than she was used to, and black pants, the witch figuring that this might do after a moment and quickly removing her blood-stained underwear, smirking when she noticed the look of approval on Pat's face.

"Like what you see?" she asked teasingly, not surprised when the demon nodded at once, her voice even hoarser than usual when she replied, her words causing the redhead's cheeks to heat up. "Yup, very much. It's been years and I still just have to look at you to get all worked up."

"That's good to know", the witch finally smiled after a moment, then made the taller woman's face fall by obscuring the nice view with the panties and bra Oliver had provided for her; the bra was a bit wide for her liking, but some fiddling with the straps solved this, and she figured it'd be okay for at least a while, until they could go back home and she could put on her own underwear again.

"It's too bad we have to go meet the others right after you changed", Pat sighed out, watching how she put on the rest of her clothes and suppressing the urge to jump up and pull them off of her again right away, "or I'd totally ravish you on that camping bed here."

"Then it'd probably break", Willow giggled in reply, only laughing harder when the black haired woman just shrugged; she quickly finished getting dressed by buttoning up the pants, wishing for a belt since Alexia was a bit wider around the hips than she was, then moved to sit on her partner's lap, smiling when immediately, the demon reacted by ditching her half-smoked cigarette into the glass of water she used as an ashtray and wrapped both arms around her.

"I'm glad you're okay again", Pat then mumbled, her hands coming to a tender rest on her back, playing with her long hair, "it was really scary when that panther hurt you so badly."

"I'm glad you can borrow your healing to me, unlike those shapeshifters", Willow let her know in reply, "or it would have been really painful to wait until it healed naturally. Talking about healing though, how's your shoulder? Doesn't it need stitches?"

"I guess it would if I were a normal person", the demon smirked in reply, "but now that you're fine again, I can heal it in a few hours, so I decided I wouldn't bother with that."

"Typical", the redhead replied with a roll of her eyes, "let me look at it then, just to make sure it's not infected or anything."

"It looks kinda ugly though", Pat warned her before she unbuttoned her shirt and slid it down her arm so Willow could lift the bandage and peek beneath it; she grimaced at the sight of the rather nasty looking bite, then shook her head again, making a mental note to herself to have that bandage changed later on as she moved the bloodstained fabric back in place.

"It does", she then confirmed, giving her partner a concerned look, "so take care with that until you can heal, alright?"

"Of course", Pat reassured her at once, then kept her from making any more comments about the bite by pulling her down and kissing her tenderly; immediately, the witch responded to the kiss, gently taking the taller woman's face into her hands as the kiss deepened, the fact that they had to meet the shapeshifters and Buffy in a few minutes for the moment forgotten.

Holding back the urge to wrap her arms around the black haired woman's neck, since she didn't want to hurt her on accident, Willow shifted on her lap instead to get even closer to her, without breaking the kiss; and just as she moved her hips forward again, sharp pain suddenly flared up there, prompting her to pull back with a small, surprised noise, the demon giving her a concerned look in reply.

"What is it?" she then wanted to know, eying her with worry, "your back still hurting?"

"No", Willow gave back, frowning, "something… poked me." With her frown deepening, she shifted on the demon's lap, then moved her fingers over the inside of the pants' hem; and moments later, she found what had been poking her, a splinter or shard of some sort, the witch taking careful hold of it before she pulled it out and held it up to examine it.

"What's that?" Pat wanted to know, eying the shard curiously; it was obviously from some sort of stone, glistening and grey, the redhead still frowning as she studied it, turning it this way and that and so it caught and reflected the artificial light provided by the lightbulb dangling from the ceiling.

"Not sure", she finally mumbled, looking from the shard at her partner again, "but… it seems to have some sort of energy, wait…"

With those words, she got off Pat's lap, carefully placing the shard in the palm of her hand before she concentrated; her brow furrowed again as she focused her magical energies on it, slowly reaching out just as she had towards the panther the previous day, almost able to see the thin tendrils of magic snaking from her mind and towards the shard. And then, her magic made contact with the shard, and sharp pain flashed up in her mind; she cried out while Pat jumped up from her chair, her good eye going wide as she saw how the witch's hair started to darken, the darkness filling her eyes as well as she let out a low groan, her whole body trembling.

Even though she wasn't sure if it might not make things worse, Pat did the first thing that came to her mind – she stepped closer to the redhead and, with one smooth movement, snatched the shard from her palm, noting in the back of her mind how warm it felt – before Willow's legs gave in beneath her and she quickly caught her, gritting her teeth when the movement caused fresh pain to well up in her shoulder.

"Oh Goddess", Willow brought out in a trembling voice, clutching to her tightly, "it's back, the darkness is back, don't let me hurt anyone, please don't let me…"

"You won't hurt anyone", Pat reassured her in a hopefully calming voice, holding her close despite the fact that one of the redhead's hands was clutching right at her wounded shoulder, sending pain from the wound in constant waves which seemed to be in sync with her heartbeat, "don't worry, Sweetie, it's okay, look, the black's already receding."

To her own relief, she wasn't just saying that to calm her partner down – the moment the shard had been taken away from her, the black had started to give way to her natural red again, her eyes back to their green colour as she looked up at the demon, the taller woman's heart aching at the tears which were glistening in them.

"It's okay", she repeated, pulling her even closer and caressing her hair tenderly, "really, you're not going dark again, you won't hurt anyone, it's okay."

"I could feel it", Willow whimpered in reply, still clinging to her as if she was drowning and only holding on to her girlfriend could prevent this, "I can still feel it, inside me, it's there and it wants out…"

"Try to stay calm", the demon advised her in reply, caressing her back and hair to help her with doing just that, "remember what they taught you in England… breathe slowly and deeply, think of something nice…"

Holding on tightly to the taller woman, Willow tried to do just that, telling herself that it was okay, that the darkness was under control and that she wouldn't let it take over; and after a while, she managed to slow down her breathing, her trembling slowly ceasing as well and her heart rate going back down to more normal levels, her partner smiling encouragingly at her, still caressing her hair in an attempt to help calm her down.

"Yeah, that's it", she then told her, bending down to kiss her forehead tenderly and managing to calm her down even further, "see, no darkness anymore, you're fine, no need to be scared."

"Thanks", Willow whispered in reply another minute later, by now having calmed down enough to be sure that the darkness within her was where it belonged, namely locked up at the far back of her mind, "for a moment there, I thought it'd take over…"

"You lost control", Pat gave back, "and it wasn't your fault." With those words, she raised the shard again, both of them looking at it before their eyes met, the witch saying aloud moments later what they both were thinking. "Guess we found what's responsible for their loss of control as well, then."


	13. Chapter 13

"You want to tell me that this small… thing can turn us into rabid animals?" Valeriana wanted to know a short while later, looking at the shard which now laid on a white handkerchief critically, "how is this possible?"

"I'm not sure", Willow replied, glancing at the innocent looking piece of stone as well before she looked back up at the Alpha woman, "but I do know for sure that it caused the… outbreak of their wild side. I tried to analyse it with my magic, and it nearly caused my dark side to take over."

"What? Oh my", Buffy threw in, looking at her best friend in concern, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine", the witch reassured her, smiling slightly, "Pat kept me grounded and helped me calm down again before anything could happen. It was caused by that shard though, and I found it hidden in the hem of these pants, which belong to Alexia."

"We better all check our clothing, then", Oliver threw in, shrugging when Valeriana gave him a sharp look, "just to make sure there aren't any more hidden anywhere, we don't need more wild shapeshifters than the two we already have here."

"I bet you a thousand dollars that we'll find such shards in their bodies somewhere", Willow replied, "but I need to work out how first, if I make contact to them with my magic, they have an effect on me, too, and believe me, you don't want that."

"We'll go figure this out then", Buffy decided in reply, ignoring it when now, she was the recipient of a sharp look from Valeriana, the Alpha woman clearly not liking it that such decisions were made without giving her a chance to be part of it, "and you guys check your clothing for more of these shards. Also, Oliver, make sure to keep Simone and Alexia down."

"Yes, of course", the young man nodded, then sighed before his gaze focused on Valeriana, his voice having a hint of impatience when he went on. "And you, stop glaring, you might be the Alpha around here for now, but without Willow discovering this, we still wouldn't have an idea what is going on, so you shouldn't glare at them."

"Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm", Valeriana coldly replied, "but all we have so far is this woman's word, and she's not one of us, so I find it hard to believe that finding one tiny piece of stone will solve all our problems."

"Excuse me?" Willow snapped, finding it hard to believe what she just had heard, "_you_ asked _me_ for help! And now that I found out what is responsible for this, you don't believe me?!"

"I'm just sceptical", Valeriana shrugged in reply, ignoring it when Pat shot her a dirty look, "as you surely understand. After all, this seems like quite an easy solution, right? Who tells us what you are honest, and not just trying to make us leave?"

"Well, that's easy to find out, isn't it", Derek threw in before anyone could reply anything – and then, he snatched up the shard and rammed it deep into the soft flesh of his palm, causing Willow to cry out "No!" while Valeriana said his name sharply, glaring at him when blood started to drip from his hand and to the table.

Next to him, Oliver already was pulling out a bag of the powder they had used to knock out the other two shapeshifters; and while he still undid the piece of string keeping it closed, Derek groaned and staggered to his feet, tearing at his clothes as his eyes went wide – before his body changed with shocking speed, a large, brown and black wolf standing where he had been moments ago, a low growl coming from the beast as he launched himself from the floor and towards the table.

Without thinking about what she actually was doing, Pat threw herself off her chair and against Willow, taking the redhead down to the floor with her; on the opposite side of the table, Buffy did the same for Valeriana, the wolf growling angrily as they all vanished from sight, and then Oliver had thrown the powder into his face and he went down, whining softly as it took effect and knocked him out.

"There", the demon grumbled as she came to her feet again, glaring at Valeriana, "that enough proof for you?"

"Yes", the brunette replied, visibly shaken, watching how Oliver quickly removed the shard from Derek's paw and dropped it back on the handkerchief, "but… how does this work? And where does this come from? We need to find out quickly, before this is spread among our people…"

"And that's just what we'll do now", Buffy reassured her, picking up the shard and carefully wrapping it up in the hanky, "we'll take this to my Watcher, he's very… Pat?"

"Yes?" the demon gave back, frowning, having been busy with helping Willow back to her feet, only to grimace at the next moment as Buffy spoke on. "You're bleeding."

"Oh, that", the taller woman gave back after a glance at her shoulder, "that's just the bite from Alexia in I'm-a-crazy-wolf-who'll-eat-you-form."

"Told you we should've stitched that up", Oliver rolled his eyes, already moving over to her, "but you had to be all macho and tough. Let me look at that."

Rolling her good eye, the demon sat down again and unbuttoned her shirt, exposing the bloodied bandage; by now, the white fabric was soaked, and the blood had seeped through on her shirt, some of it even trailing down her arm and dripping from her fingertips.

"How did you not notice that?" Willow wanted to know at the sight, frowning, "didn't you feel that?"

"Nope", Pat shrugged, then grimaced as now, she did feel pain from the re-opened wound, "was too busy worrying for you. You're alright, aren't you?"

"Yes", the witch reassured her, then flinched as Derek let out a low growl on the table, his paws moving slightly; she threw a concerned look at the wolf, afraid that he might wake up and attack them again, then Oliver spoke up and distracted her, sounding calming as he explained what was going on.

"It's the blood", he let her know, smiling at her, "he smells it and reacts to it, but don't worry, he won't wake up. We use strong powder."

"Good", Willow mumbled, "just in case the influence of the shard lingers after it was removed…"

"Just another thing we'll need to find out", Buffy commented, "and we'll go do just that, as soon as you've been patched up again, Pat."

"Good plan", the taller woman agreed, then flinched as Oliver called out for one of the other shapeshifters to bring some bandages, doing so right next to her ear, only to give her an apologetic look when he realized what he had done.

"If you do that again, I'll yell in your ear", she threatened in response to the expression on his face, "don't panthers have sensitive ears?"

"At least I do", Oliver mumbled, "so please refrain from doing that." To his relief, the man he had called out to came with the bandages right afterwards, before Pat could say anything; thus, she just grumbled as he bandaged her up again, then told her to be careful with the wound until she could heal again, making her nod impatiently.

"Yeah, sure", she then told him, sounding as impatient as she was looking, "but can we go now and figure out how to end this?"

"Yes", Willow agreed, watching how Oliver finished knotting the bandage and grimacing when Pat simply pulled her bloodied shirt back on afterwards, clearly not caring about the reddish-brown stains, "let's go… Buffy?"

"Ready when you are", the blonde shrugged, rising from her seat, "but before we go, Valeriana, let's exchange numbers so we can call you in case anything comes up. Or the other way round."

"Yes, sure", the brunette gave back, already digging out her phone; they quickly exchanged their numbers, then the Slayer, the witch and the demon left the mansion together, heading on to Giles' home, eager to find out what this shard had been made of and how they could be made sure it wouldn't be used on any other of the shapeshifters anymore.


	14. Chapter 14

"Should have known this wouldn't be solved quickly", Willow sighed two hours later as she entered her apartment with her partner in tow, "that was just too good to be true."

"Isn't it always?" Pat gave back as she took off her shoes and jacket, then moved on into the kitchen and removed two cold cans of coke from the fridge, returning to the living room and handing one of them to the witch before she sat down on the couch next to her, "but at least Giles was positive he'll find something quickly."

"Let's hope I can also find a way to make them useless without any danger to myself", the redhead sighed, then poked her partner in the ribs before she could reply anything, "and you, get up now and heal that shoulder, I can tell you are in pain even though you try to hide it."

"You know me too well", the demon grumbled in reply, then came to her feet; Willow just smirked and shrugged as an answer, then watched how the taller woman changed to her more furry form of appearance, the bite in her shoulder healing quickly within not even half a minute the moment the transformation had been completed.

"There", she then growled, changing back to her human form and sitting down again, "happy now?

"Yes", Willow smiled, snuggling up to her and prompting her to put one arm around her shoulders, "because now I can snuggle you and don't need to worry about accidentally hurting you."

"Good point, I have to admit", the taller woman smiled, "and how's your back? Fully fine again?"

"Yeah, no worries", the redhead reassured her, smiling back at her, "not hurting anymore at all. Your healing's really good, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware of that", Pat smirked, then yawned heartily, the excitement of the previous days taking their toll on her; giving her a concerned look, since it was just early afternoon, Willow asked her if she wanted to get some rest, not surprised when the taller woman nodded at once.

"And for once, I don't mean it in the kinky sense when I say I wanna go to bed", she then let her know, "I'm really just tired. All that healing and magic and fighting…"

"You must be getting old", Willow teased in reply, not surprised when immediately, Pat let out a huff, "I remember days when we had more stress than this and you weren't tired at all."

"Yeah, but during those days, you didn't end up in a tank with your back torn up by a crazed panther", the demon argued back at once, "so this has nothing to do with my age, young lady!"

"Of course, I'm just teasing", Willow giggled, snuggling up to her again, "it's just too funny how you huff and puff every time I say something like that."

"No respect for your elders, you should be ashamed", Pat smirked, then let out another yawn and came to her feet, letting her partner know that she'd get some sleep; for a moment, Willow was tempted that she'd go with her, then decided against it and told her she'd do so some research in the meantime, making her nod her agreement.

"Gimme a kiss before you go?" she then smiled, the taller woman smiling at once as well and nodding once more, bending down to kiss her tenderly moments later; and then, she made her way into the bedroom and laid down there to get some sleep while Willow booted her laptop to get the research started, soon losing track of time as she fully focused on the task at hand.

* * *

An hour later, Pat came back out of the bedroom, scratching the back of her head as she stepped back into the living room; there, Willow was sitting on the couch still, busy with the research, her can of soda lukewarm and forgotten on the table next to the computer.

"Found anything?" the demon wanted to know, making her flinch slightly before she glanced up at her and shrugged, then patted the seat next to her, replying as soon as the demon had sat down there and had moved to put one arm around her again.

"Not really", she sighed, "at least nothing conclusive. A lot of stones are said to have some kind of negative influence on self-control, not to mention that the shards could simply be used as storage for magic of some kind, which makes the search not exactly easier."

"Well, Giles should find out if that is the case, right?" Pat wanted to know, distracting her partner from the laptop screen by sliding one hand from her waist beneath her shirt and over her stomach, "so you can take a break now, and focus on… more pleasant things."

"More pleasant things, huh", the witch repeated, smiling at her and at the lusty glint she could see in her good eye, "like what?"

"Like that", the taller woman whispered into her ear, then leaned down and started kissing her neck, a low moan coming from the redhead when moments later, she felt the demon run her tongue over the sensitive skin; the laptop forgotten, she turned on the couch to embrace her and pull her even closer, another moan coming from her when the demon's hand slid up beneath her shirt and to her breasts.

"That break sounds really good right now", she finally brought out, managing to pull Pat away from her throat so she could kiss her deeply; and just when the black haired woman started to tuck at her shirt, the doorbell rang, making them both groan as they pulled apart.

"This better be important", the demon grumbled, kissing her quickly once more before she got up from the couch; nodding, Willow sighed to herself as she watched her go, then sat up on the couch and straightened her clothing, hoping that she didn't look too tousled while she heard Pat open the apartment door and greet whoever had interrupted them, with mild surprise in her voice. "Oh, it's you, hey, what do you—"

A low thump interrupted her, and the redhead flinched on the couch, asking herself what was going on; not able to hold back her curiousness, she came to her feet and moved closer to the hallway leading into the small anteroom, her eyes going wide when she saw Valeriana there, the brunette stepping into the apartment and over the lifeless body of her loved one.

"Oh, there you are", the Alpha woman now stated, with a cold smile that was so different to her usual pleasant ones that it seemed almost alien on her face, "I was already wondering if your mate was here alone."

For a moment, Willow was tempted to ask her what she had done to Pat, then the brunette raised her fist and she could see the powder she was gripping, some of it trickling out between her fingers, and the question was answered before she even had to ask it; and then, Valeriana tossed the stuff at her, and without fully realizing what she was doing, the witch brought her hand up, quickly forming a shield which stopped the powder inches from her face.

"You and your magic", Valeriana hissed, her eyes briefly flashing up yellow, "but this won't protect you forever…"

"It doesn't need to", Willow replied, managing to sound more confident than she was feeling, "just until Pat comes back around so she can kick your ass."

Her gaze flickered down to the other woman's feet and her eyes narrowed as she focused; and moments later, long strips of the carpet snuck upwards and wrapped around the brunette's ankles and calves, nearly making her fall as she cried out in surprise.

"Me and my magic, again", Willow told her amiably, smiling at her, "now I'll just have to hold you in place until my mate, as you called her, comes back around. Trust me, you won't like what she'll do to you then."

In response, Valeriana glared at her for a few moments, snarling – before her body changed within the blink of an eye, her long and lean form replaced by the bulkier one of her wolf state, the strips of carpet falling down uselessly, her legs suddenly much thinner and not held by them anymore.

Startled, Willow took a step back, her mind running wild as she tried to figure out how to stop the wolf from attacking her; before she could come up with anything though, the beast had launched herself forward, the large and furry body crashing into the redhead and sending her to the ground, Valeriana changing back to her human form the moment she had ended up on top of the smaller woman and smiling cruelly at her.

"Gotcha", she then stated, pulling back her fist; and a second later she went flying as Willow unloaded a burst of magic into her, sending her all the way back to the hallway where she landed close to the still unconscious demon, a low growl coming from her as she struggled up on all fours – before the nails of her right hand grew and thickened into claws, a gasp escaping the witch when they were pressed against her partner's throat moments later, a brief hiss coming from the Alpha woman as her skin made contact with the demon's earring for a second, before she adjusted her grip to keep her fingers away from the silver jewellery.

"Quit it, or she dies", Valeriana snarled at her, her eyes now a bright yellow again, "I have no interest in killing you, I just want you out of the way for a while, but if you don't stop antagonizing me, you can kiss your mate's ass goodbye."

"Don't", Willow almost pleaded in reply, flinching when the brunette increased the pressure in reply until small drops of blood started to well up around her claws, "please! Don't hurt her!"

"No more magic", Valeriana warned her in reply, using her free hand to remove more of the sleeping powder from her pocket, "and now get over here so I can knock you out."

Swallowing heavily, Willow stepped closer to her, racking her mind for a spell she could use so fast that Valeriana would have no chance to harm her partner; thanks to the quite tight grip she had on Pat's throat though, she realized that this was practically impossible - even if she would come up with a spell, the mere risk of the Alpha woman cramping up the moment the magic hit her meant that she'd tear out the demon's throat, maybe even without wanting it.

"Don't even think about trying anything", the brunette warned her as she slowly approached, "you don't want to be the one responsible for your mate ending up with her throat torn apart, right?"

She smiled while slowly, blood kept trickling down Pat's throat and to the wooden floor; unable to take her eyes away from it, Willow finally reached the shapeshifter and her downed partner, briefly closing her eyes when she saw Valeriana pull her free hand back, still having time to ask herself if it would hurt – before the powder was flung into her face, enveloping her and filling her mouth, nose and eyes, the world going dark around her moments later.


	15. Chapter 15

When she awoke again, the first thing Willow noticed that her head hurt; and then, pain in her shoulders and wrists registered next, along with the uncomfortable position her arms were held in, stretched above her head, cold steel around her wrists keeping her from relieving some of the tension in her muscles.

"Willow?" the voice of her partner reached her, relief briefly filling her as she realized that this meant Valeriana hadn't killed her after all, "are you awake? Are you alright?"

"Yes, and mostly", the witch replied, forcing herself to open her eyes even though her eyelids felt as if they were weighing a ton each; she found herself looking at a blank stone wall not far away, showing that the room was quite small, then glanced over to her right, her gaze meeting Pat's, the taller woman giving her a wry smile as she stood next to her, chained in exactly the same way, even though thanks to the height difference between the two women, her arms weren't straightened quite as much the witch's.

"Looks like we're in deep shit", she commented, making Willow nod at once, "and do you happen to know why my neck hurts?"

"That was Valeriana", the redhead sighed in reply, shifting on her feet in an attempt to take some of the pressure off her shoulders and arms, "she'd knocked you out with that powder, and when I tried my magic against her to stop her from doing the same thing to me, I made the mistake to throw her to your side, and she grabbed you at the throat with her claws and threatened to tear it out unless I let her knock me out, too. I'm sorry…"

"Not your fault", Pat reassured her once, "I would have done the same thing, had I been in your place…" She glanced up to where the chains connected to the cuffs around her wrists were mounted to the wall, studying the metal ring which had been rammed into the stone; she gave a few careful tucks, only to sneeze moments later as stone dust trickled down and right in her face.

"Gesundheit", Willow smiled, momentarily forgetting her predicament as she once more marvelled at her girlfriend's inability to sneeze quiet and lady-like – whenever she let out a sneeze, it was loud enough to make her jump.

"What do you think she wants with us?" she then went on, looking up at the chains as well, "she said she didn't want to kill us, but why kidnap us then?"

"If we're lucky, she'll explain", Pat gave back, looking up at the chains again and tugging once more, causing more dust to come down, "and maybe give us a chance to kill her treacherous ass."

"Why do I get the feeling that she was responsible all along", Willow muttered, watching her lover tuck at the chains again and hoping she wouldn't end up hurting herself, "and now we got too close to the truth when we found that shard, and she wants us out of the picture…"

The sound of a key turning in a lock distracted her from those ponderings, and she glanced to the left, where the only door of the room was located; the thick wood swung open moments later, and Valeriana stepped inside, smiling at the two as she closed the door behind herself again.

"Good to see you awake", she then let the couple know, moving to lean against the opposite wall, making them both notice with dismay that she was keeping a safe distance, "I was a bit worried, because I wasn't sure how our knockout powder would work on a human. Or on a demon."

"Well, it didn't kill us, as you can see", Pat replied, her voice cold as she glared at the other woman, "so now, you'll surely tell us what grand plans you have for us, right?"

"No grand plans", Valeriana shrugged, smiling pleasantly at her again, "just a small, simple one. I'll keep you here until I'm done, then I'll let you go, because you won't be able to stop me anymore anyway, then."

"You know Buffy will look for us, right?" Willow wanted to know, eying her in dismay, not liking the thought of being chained up in this room for God knew how long, "and she'll figure this out sooner or later."

"No, she won't", Valeriana replied at once, her gaze moving to the witch, "because I planted evidence for a demon attack in your apartment before I took the two of you with me. So, she'll be looking for a certain kind of demon and won't even waste a thought on the shapeshifters in town… not as long as her friends might be held prisoner by a demon who eats his victims alive, one bite at a time."

"Clever", Pat had to admit with another glare at the woman, "so you'll just keep us chained up here until whatever crazy plan you have is finished?"

"My plan is not crazy", the Alpha woman snarled, returning the glare this time, "it is beautiful and will set us all free." She smiled and moved away from the wall behind her, then turned to face it and ran her hands over it; a moment later, she found the special spot she had been looking for and pushed, the wall sliding aside with a grinding noise moments later, revealing an even smaller room behind it, with a wooden table standing in the middle of said room, the witch's eyes going wide when she saw the small pile of grey, glistening shards on the smooth wooden surface – enough to take out dozens of shapeshifters.

"You already figured out I'm behind this anyway, I take it", Valeriana smiled at them, looking at the pile with pride, "so, you'll surely understand I can't let you take this knowledge to the rest of the pack."

"Actually, we only figured it out when you knocked us out and we woke up chained in this dingy room", Pat let her know, "but I'm quite sure that, if you hadn't done that, we would have figured it out anyway. So why are you doing this?"

"None of your business", Valeriana replied, turning away from the table and looking at her with a smile, "all you need to know is that I'll be done soon, then we'll leave this little town and head back to our territory."

"With a bunch of wild shapeshifters?" Pat demanded to know, raising an eyebrow, "yeah, I'm sure that'll work out just great. You gonna take them all on a leash or something?"

"No", Valeriana gave back, rolling her eyes, "in fact, I won't take any of them back with me. I'll go back alone."

"You're just the Alpha of your group", Willow realized all at once, "but you want more, right? You want to lead them all… What is he or she called? Super Alpha?"

"None of your business", the Alpha woman repeated, glaring at her as she tried to figure out how the redhead had realized this; next to the witch, Pat let out a snort, then shook her head, her voice full of contempt when she spoke up again. "So that's the gist of it, huh? Little Val is not satisfied with her position, so she wants more. Of course, an Uber-Alpha who can't control all the groups is useless, right, so you'll have to get rid of them by making them all go wild. And you think only we will figure this out? You're dumber than I thought."

"Shut up", Valeriana snapped at her, making her smirk, the demon clearly not willing to do her that favour, as she simply went on moments later. "No, really. You think they're gonna fall for that? Even we noticed how keen you are on giving commands and on having people do what you say, on being in control. That's the whole issue, isn't it? You're a control freak who can't deal with her status, and it must kill you to be forced to do whatever that Uber-Alpha tells you to. Did you protest when he chose you to come here? Or did you volunteer to show what good a leader you would be?"

"Shut up!" Valeriana barked at her again, clearly not liking what she was hearing; her eyes flashed up yellow, but still Pat didn't stop, making Willow wonder what exactly she wanted to accomplish by antagonizing her.

"What, don't like my words?" the demon wanted to know, giving her a smug smirk, "because you know they're the truth? Let me tell you another one, the others already know something's off with you. Crazy bitches like you can never hide their craziness for long. What do they do to a wolf in your pack when it goes insane? Kill it? Or send it into exile? Now that would suck for you, right, no one to control anymore, wow, that would be bad."

"I said shut up you fucking piece of shit!" Valeriana yelled in reply – and then she was rushing towards her and her hand came up, the nails having turned to claws again, ripping across the taller woman's face moments later, making Willow cry out as deep gashes were torn into her partner's cheek, blood gushing from them at once.

To her astonishment, Pat didn't react to the injury at all, not with a groan or even a blink; instead, she grit her teeth, and then grasped the chains connected to her cuffs and pulled herself up with stunning speed, her legs coming up simultaneously and quickly catching Valeriana's head between her thighs, a malicious smirk on her face as the Alpha woman started to struggle.

"Shouldn't have gotten so close to me", she then growled at her, "and you know what we do here with crazy bitch wolves? We put them down." She grit her teeth again, and Willow could see her leg muscles bulge – and then, an audible snapping sound echoed through the small room and Valeriana slumped to the ground, the unnatural angle of her head showing that her neck had been broken by the powerful jerk the demon had given with her legs.

"…that was amazing", Willow finally found herself able to talk again, "quite reckless and dangerous, but amazing!"

"Yeah, I know", Pat gave back, still ignoring the blood streaming down her face and throat as she looked up at the chains again, "but it was the only thing I could think of. Now, just let me…" Gritting her teeth for a third time, she flexed her muscles, then pulled; and with the steady strain she was putting on the chains and the ring which had been used to mount them to the wall, she could feel the ring give slightly after a while, sweat forming on her brow and stinging in the gashes as she increased the intensity of her pulling, more and more stone dust drifting to the ground – before the ring snapped out of the wall and she was more or less free, the chains still cuffed to her wrists, but at least she could move around the room now and had almost full use of her arms again.

"Good thing you're so strong", Willow smiled while her partner moved closer to her and started working on the chains holding her, "or this might have ended badly when you killed her."

Smiling slightly, Pat nodded in reply, then focused on the chains again; she grasped them tightly and started pulling, and that was when Valeriana's head snapped back into a more natural position behind her and she came to her feet with a shriek of pure anger, tackling the demon and ramming her against the wall face first, her yells of rage drowning out the shocked cry Willow let out at the unexpected sight.


	16. Chapter 16

"You think you can kill me so easily?" Valeriana bellowed at the stunned demon, slamming her against the wall once more hard enough to daze her as her head connected with stone quite hard, "didn't you do your homework on shapeshifters, stupid bitch?"

She slammed her against the wall yet again, then moved so close to her that Pat could feel her hot breath on her neck and cheek when she spoke up again, the tone of her voice showing that she had lost all control by now. "If you just had waited here until I would've been done, I would've let you go… But you tried to kill me, and no one does this to me!"

Her grip on the taller woman's shoulders tightened, and she took a step back – before she whirled around and, with shocking strength, sent Pat flying, a low grunt coming from the demon when her back struck the edge of the table in the small hidden room and she went down, Willow crying out at the sight once more.

"I'll kill you first", Valeriana snarled as she advanced again, smiling at the sight of Pat trying to struggle to her feet, her eyes glowing brightly yellow again as she bent down, whispered "Let me help you with that" – and jerked her to her feet, then slammed her down on the table, her hands closing around the black haired woman's throat moments later, her thumbs finding her windpipe and pushing down.

"No, stop!" Willow shouted, tearing at the chains holding her helplessly, wishing she at least could free one hand so she could throw a spell at the Alpha woman; she knew that it was possible to direct her magic without pointing at the target, but only if she was calm enough to do so, and the sight of her lover being strangled, along with the chocking sounds she now started to let out, made calming down impossible for her.

"Shut up", Valeriana snarled, not even looking at her and ignoring it when the demon let both hands flame up and grasped her arms, the flames having no apparent effect on her, "you're next anyway, you can follow her into the afterlife right away!"

She let out a low growl when Pat tried to smack her in the face instead of burning her, not letting the blows which landed stop her either; with her face reddening from lack of air, the demon gave up on that after a while, blindly groping the table beneath her for some sort of weapon, even though she hadn't seen anything useful when Valeriana had shown it to them. Struggling hard to get air into her lungs, she tried to ignore the black spots which started to dot her vision, a sign of oncoming unconsciousness; and then, her groping fingers met the pile of shards, and without thinking about how this might end, she closed her fist around a handful of them and brought her arm up with as much strength as she still had left, ramming several of the shards into the brunette's neck, the rest of them falling to the ground while Valeriana let out a cry and stumbled back, her hands vanishing from her throat and allowing her to suck in a deep, gasping and pained breath.

"You bitch!" Valeriana howled at her, tearing at the shards in her skin frantically, "you goddamn…!" Her own words got cut off by the growl she let out, the glow in her eyes increasing – before she changed within seconds, soon replaced by her large and sleek wolf form, saliva dripping from the sharp fangs and to the floor as she stared Pat, her fur raising as she watched the taller woman get back on her feet.

"Oh God", Willow whimpered, hating how helpless she was in this situation; Pat briefly glanced at her, silently reassuring her that it'd be alright – before Valeriana let out another growl and launched herself at her, jaws opened wide in the anticipation of tasting her flesh and blood. Instead of her teeth snapping close on some bodypart of the taller woman though, they merely closed on air as Pat got out of the way with a daring dive; thanks to the smallness of the room, she hit the wall, grunting at the impact while Valeriana landed elegantly on all fours, then spun around and launched herself at the demon once more, giving her no chance to get out of the way this time.

"No!" Willow cried out as she had to watch helplessly how the wolf's jaws closed around her partner's lower leg, making her howl in pain as the teeth sank deep into her flesh; and as fast as she had moved in, Valeriana darted back again, blood now dripping from her teeth instead of saliva, her low growls echoing through the small room as she moved back and forth, an evil glint in her eyes when she watched Pat come to her feet again.

Gritting her teeth, the demon grabbed the wall behind her to steady herself, not sure how deep the bite in her leg had gone and if any muscle had been damaged, not wanting to find out by trying to put her weight on the wounded leg and up on the floor; snarling, Valeriana kept her distance, forcing Pat to ask herself what she was up to now, her mind at the same time running wild as she tried to figure out how to stop the wolf.

Before she could come up with anything though, the beast growled much louder, than darted forward once more; the movement came to unexpected that Pat staggered and nearly lost her balance, and before she could regain it, the teeth snapped close again, tearing another chunk of flesh out of her already damaged leg, her pained yell mixing with the desperate cry Willow let out at the sight.

Now not able to remain standing anymore, the black haired woman slumped down to the ground, pain pulsing through her leg; and even though she technically was in a too feral state of mind, Valeriana seemed to smirk at her as she moved back and forth again, her gaze never leaving the wounded woman on the ground.

_She's playing with her, _Willow realized in shock, unable to take her eyes off the puddle of blood which slowly was forming and growing beneath the taller woman's leg, _tiring her out, and then she'll go in for the kill…_

"Pat", she tried to gain her partner's attention, "you have to get back up, don't let her get at your throat…!"

Without taking her gaze off the wolf, the demon nodded, then grasped the wall for support again as she tried to get back on her feet; before she could do more than get halfway up though, Valeriana threw herself at her again, tackling her with all her weight and pinning her between her furry body and the wall, another pained yell coming from Pat when the wolf's head shot down and sharp teeth dug into the soft flesh between neck and shoulder, tears suddenly obscuring Willow's vision as she realized how one-sided this fight was – and that she might have to watch the Alpha woman tear her lover apart without being able to do a single thing against it.

Panting, with blood now streaming from her leg and from the deep wound close to her neck, Pat pressed herself against the wall as Valeriana retreated yet again; trying to ignore her pain, she kept staring at the wolf as she racked her brain for a way out of this, knowing that she was no match for the beast's strength and speed, especially not now, now that she was wounded.

And then, it came to her, with a bright flash, as if she literally had been enlightened, the memory of how the wild panther had thrown herself against the cage with the silver bars and how her fur had sizzled and smoked where it had made contact with the metal; and without missing a beat, she reached up and tore out one of her earrings, the bit of pain this caused her barely noticed as Valeriana chose this moment to advance again, her jaws already opened wide in anticipation of tasting more blood.

Giving her best to keep her hand steady, the demon let her come closer, waiting until the last possible moment – and then throwing the earring while she used her other hand to keep the animal away from her throat, letting out the breath she had been holding when it went right into the gaping mouth of the wolf, a strange hacking sound coming from the beast as she swallowed the piece of jewellery out of pure reflex. Still pressing herself against the wall, Pat had a moment to wonder how long it would take for the silver to take effect, and if maybe, Valeriana still would kill her before it would happen; she could feel Valeriana struggle against the grip she now had on her with both hands, in an attempt to get at her throat, then the growls suddenly turned into whines and she moved back, her body trembling as she pulled her tail between her legs.

Relaxing slightly, Pat slid further down the wall, breathing heavily as she watched the wolf tremble and shake; then, Valeriana let out a low, pained howl, blood running from her mouth as she slumped down, the silver still damaging her insides, her breath coming with fast and hectic gasps for half a minute – before it stopped altogether, a final shudder running through the wolf before she laid still, the only noise in the room now being the laboured breathing of the demon.

"Damn you, crazy bitch", Pat finally broke the silence, grasping the wall again as she struggled to her feet once more, "now I need to buy new earrings…"

Coming to her feet at last, she then made her way to where the brunette's clothes had landed when she had changed; when she bent down to pick them up with the intention to find a key for the cuffs, the world went grey at the edges of her vision and the ground started spinning beneath her, then suddenly came up to meet her, the shocked cry Willow let out behind her making it obvious a moment later what had happened – her legs had given in beneath her yet again and she had ended up flat on her face.

Idly, she studied the opposite wall, noticing how surprisingly clear her vision had become now that she had fallen down; she could see the finest hairline cracks in the wall, and heard the soft drip, drip, drip as something liquid hit the floor, accompanied with her girlfriend crying out her name, but that was muffled and coming from far, far away, not that important…

_You're going into shock and you'll pass out, _the small part of her brain which still was capable of rational thought told her, _at least try to hold on until you freed Willow! _

"Pat, Sweetie, please!" she heard the redhead call out behind her, desperation and tears in her voice, "please get up, please!"

Groaning, she tried to do just that, realizing that the smart part of her mind was right and that she had to get up, change and heal, if she didn't want to pass out right there and then; thus, she tried to come to her feet, managing to get up on her hands and knees before the world darkened around her and she slumped back down, hearing Willow cry out for her once more before the darkness engulfed her and took her away into oblivion.


	17. Chapter 17

Even though every instinct she had wanted her to panic and to just scream for help, Willow forced herself to remain calm and quiet, knowing that freaking out wouldn't lead anywhere; she closed her eyes as she breathed slowly and deeply, trying to focus, trying to ignore the metallic smell of blood in the room and the laboured, raspy breathing she could hear coming from her partner's lifeless form.

_As long as she breathes, she's alive, _she told herself, looking up at the cuffs once she was sure she wouldn't slip into hysterics, _and to keep her that way, you have to get out of this, so focus now… _

Slowly, carefully so she wouldn't hurt herself, she twisted her right hand in the cuff until she could touch the steel around her left wrist with her index and middle finger; closing her eyes again, she focused on the lock even though she couldn't see or feel it, imagining how it sprang open while she channelled her magic, a feat which was easier under normal circumstances, but made considerably harder by the fact that her girlfriend was out cold on the ground a few feet away, still bleeding from the various wounds Valeriana had inflicted on her.

"Come on", she mumbled under her breath, sweat forming on her brow, "come on, open up… you can do this, open up…" She squeezed her eyes shut as she focused harder on the magic, tried to blend out Pat's horrible raspy breathing and the smell of her blood; and then, so unexpected that it made her arm slump down, the cuff snapped open, the witch grimacing to herself as pins and needles tingled through her arm, her shoulder muscles aching still despite the tension now having been taken off them.

"One down, one to go", she told herself, forcing her left arm to move back up despite the pain in her muscles; now that she already had done it once, repeating the task was much easier, and just a few moments later, the second cuff opened as well, allowing her to move away from the wall and hurry to her partner's side, the urge to panic coming back when she knelt down next to her and saw how pale her face had gone, the skin clammy and sweaty when she touched her cheek tenderly.

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to wake her up, and that they needed help, Willow took another look at her, telling her that it'd be okay even though she wasn't sure if the demon could even hear her; then, she came to her feet and hurried out of the room, finding herself in a long hallway with a slight upward slope, doors to the left and right of her, the redhead ignoring all of them though as she hurried towards the stairway on the other end of the hall.

"Please be open", she mumbled to herself as she spotted the door on top of the stairway; quickly, she made her way up to it, her heart sinking when she found the door locked. Unlocking handcuffs was one thing, but doors could be much more complicated, depending on how complex the lock inside them was, and from what she could see, the one in this door was fairly new, and not a run-of-the-mill regular one, either.

"Dammit", she whispered to herself, then pressed her ear against the wood in an attempt to hear anything, asking herself where exactly Valeriana had taken them; figuring that it couldn't hurt to do so, she then slammed both hands against the wood and called out as loud as she could, hoping her voice would carry through the wood.

"Hello!" she shouted on top of her lungs, hammering against the door again, "we need help! Hello? Can anyone hear me!"

Taking in a deep breath, she yelled for help again, smashing her fists against the wood; and then, she heard footsteps, accompanied by a vaguely familiar voice, her heart speeding up when she recognized it as Derek's.

"Hello?" the young man asked through the wood, sounding mildly confused, "is someone in there?"

"Open the door!" Willow snapped in reply, then forced herself to calm down and added in a kinder, but still loud tone, "please! Pat's hurt, she needs help!"

"Wait a second, I don't have a key for this", Derek's voice came after a few moments, followed by him hollering for another one of the wolf shapeshifters, a man named Jerome; it didn't take long until more footsteps came up, and then the man Derek had called to help had the nerve to try and argue, telling Derek that Valeriana had forbidden them to go down there.

"Willow's behind that door", the young man bristled back at once, while the witch rolled her eyes, "and her mate, who's hurt, so help me or find someone who will!"

"Fine", Jerome finally gave in, then raised his voice as he told Willow to step back; she did so, and moments later, the door shook in the frame as both men threw themselves against it, doing so two more times until finally, it flew open, both shapeshifters clearly surprised to see her.

"What are you doing down there?" Derek then finally asked, eying the witch curiously; holding back the urge to roll her eyes, she promised him she'd explain later, giving her best to keep the panic down as she went on. "Please, just get Oliver, Pat's really hurt and needs help…"

"I'll get him", Jerome let them both know, then turned and hurried off; and now that they were rescued, Willow finally lost her composure, a strangled sob escaping her, prompting a slightly startled Derek to pull her into a hug and reassure that everything would be okay, even though the confusion in his gaze showed that he still had no idea what exactly had happened down there.

* * *

"I called Buffy", Oliver let Willow know half an hour later, stepping back into the basement room where they kept the tank; nodding, the witch briefly glanced at him, then back at the tank, watching her partner float in the light blue liquid, asking herself if Pat had felt just as helpless when their roles had been reversed and she'd been the one in there, kept alive by the strange magic fluid the tank was filled with.

"Derek is going through Valeriana's stuff", the shapeshifter now went on, sitting down next to the witch, "maybe we'll find out more about her exact reasons to do this. I still find it hard to believe that it was her, but after what you told us, and what we found in that cellar room… No surprise she didn't want us to go down there. She told us it's too dangerous."

"I should have thought of it sooner", the redhead gave back hoarsely, briefly looking at him again, "I saw how Valeriana reacted to her earrings, but I didn't remember, she figured it out and used one to kill her… But only after she hurt her so badly…"

"She'll be fine", Oliver reassured her in reply, giving her a calming smile, "the tank will stabilize her so she'll wake up again, and then she can change and heal."

"Thanks for helping her so quickly", Willow sighed out with a weak smile at him, "when Jerome freaked out at seeing Valeriana dead, I was afraid for a moment you'd guys turn on us…"

"He's one of the most loyal to her", Oliver let her know, "or, well, better said, he was, now that she's dead. I understand why he freaked out, but after all those shards down there, and only her having access to that room, it was pretty clear that you're telling the truth."

"The shards were what helped Pat defeat her in the end", Willow let him know, looking at the tank again, "Valeriana had her pinned down on the table and was chocking her, and she grabbed them and stabbed her into the neck with them, forcing her to change."

"Quick thinking on her part, then", the shapeshifter gave back, looking at the demon as well, "she'll need that once she'll take over."

"Take over?" Willow repeated, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "take what over?"

"The pack, of course", Oliver replied, as if this was the most logical answer in the world, "now that she killed Valeriana, the Alpha of the wolf pack, she takes her place."

"…I'm not sure she'll want that", the redhead gave back after a moment, "I don't think she's keen on leading a wolf pack."

"We can speak to her about it once she's better", the young man smiled at her, coming to his feet again, "but now, I need to check on Simone and Alexia, as long as those shards are still in them, we have to keep them knocked out. I'll be right in the next room, so call for me in case you need anything."

"Sure, thanks", Willow gave back, making herself return his smile; he held her gaze for another moment, then turned and left, giving the witch time to focus on the tank again, watching in silence how her lover floated in the liquid, her good eye closed, the wounds Valeriana had inflicted on her now looking even worse than they had before, when they still had been obscured by clothing and blood.

"You heard that?" she asked after a while, stepping closer to the tank and placing her hand on the cool, smooth glass, "you're the new Alpha wolf now, and that even though you aren't a wolf. As if being a fire demon isn't enough, now you're also leader of their pack." She giggled at the thought, finding herself imagining how Pat ran ahead a pack of wolves during full moon, in her full demonic glory; then, the door behind her opened again and distracted her from those thoughts as she turned to see who was entering, her gaze meeting Derek's, the young man keeping a respectful distance from her and even bowing his head slightly, making her wonder what was going on.

"I came to report my findings", he let her know, finally looking up at her again, "since our new Alpha is currently not in a state to receive them, I offer them to you, as our Alpha's mate."

"You just accept that?" Willow wanted to know in surprise, having expected him of all people to be against this, since he had been quite hostile when Pat and he had first met, "that she's your new Alpha, I mean? Even though she's not really one of you guys, as you said yourself?"

"Yes, of course", Derek gave back, sounding just as surprised as the witch, "why wouldn't I? She fought for us, you both did, and defeated Valeriana, so she's our new Alpha. That's how it goes in the pack."

"Okay", the redhead shrugged, now even keener on her partner to wake up so she could tease her with this, already picturing Pat's reaction, "tell me what you found then, I'll, um, accept your report in her place."

"As her mate", Derek patiently gave back, looking at her expectantly, and after a moment, she caught on and repeated his words, adding them to her own ones.

"I'll accept your report in her place, as her mate", she told him, and he beamed at her – only to surprise her again moments later by moving forward and kneeling down in front of her.

"I found this in Valeriana's private stash of magic supplies", he let her know, holding up a bottle filled with a strangely glowing, red liquid, briefly reminding Willow of how her partner's eye looked when she got really mad, "and I don't recognize it, but my nose tells me it's something… bad. Maybe you should use your knowledge of magic to find out if this was used on the shards to make us so wild."

"Yes, I will", the witch let him know, taking the bottle from him, "thank you. Did you find anything else?"

"No", Derek shook his head, but still remaining on his knees; and a moment later, Willow knew why, as he now pulled a necklace from his pocket and held it out to her, giving her a chance to study the pendant which dangled from it, made of stainless steel and in the shape of a wolf's head.

"This is the insignia of our Alpha", he let her know, coming to his feet again when the redhead accepted the necklace, "now that Pat is our leader, she must have it, Valeriana had it before her."

"I'll tell her once she wakes up", Willow reassured him, smiling slightly as she studied the pendant, "thank you."

"It was my pleasure", Derek smiled, bowing his head again and making her wonder if they had treated Valeriana with so much respect as well when Pat and she hadn't been around, "I have a very good feeling about this, if I may speak so frankly, your mate might be just what this pack needs after Valeriana's reign."

"We'll see", the redhead vaguely replied, giving him another smile, "first, she needs to get better, then we can discuss the future of the pack."

"Yes, of course", Derek nodded at once, throwing a concerned look at the tank, forcing the witch to hold back an amused smirk – after all, he had been the one who had acted most hostile towards Pat, and now, he looked as if he worried more about her than any other member of the pack.

"I'll leave you alone with your mate now", he added after a moment, smiling at the redhead once more, "just call for me if you need anything, alright?"

"Okay, thanks", the witch replied, returning his smile; he bowed his head once more, then turned and left the room while Willow sat down again and studied the bottle he had brought her, then the pendant, figuring that she might as well pass the time with that until Pat would wake up again.


	18. Chapter 18

It took almost three hours until the demon came back around, and just like Willow, there was a moment of panic when she opened her good eye and found herself suspended in a strange blue liquid, with an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose and pads on her chest; then, she realized where she was and remembered what had happened, slowly turning her head, her gaze meeting Willow's a moment later.

Quickly, the witch got up from her seat and moved closer to the tank, smiling calmingly at her partner; Pat took a moment to smile back, then moved upwards in the blue liquid until she could grasp the edge of the tank with one hand, not daring to move the other one since the wound between neck and shoulder was still there and pulsing faintly with pain, despite the numbing properties of the fluid, pulling herself up until her head was out of the stuff and she could take off the mask.

"Hey", Willow smiled at her, reaching up so she could place her hand on the demon's, "how are you feeling?"

"Not that bad actually", Pat gave back, smiling as well, "it's all mostly numb. Except for the bite up here, but that's not too bad, either."

"Good", the redhead replied at once, squeezing her hand tenderly, "I was really worried when you just blacked out back in that little room…"

"Yeah, sorry about that", the demon sighed, giving her partner a rueful look, "I guess that bitch damaged me more than I thought at first."

"She did, indeed", Willow confirmed, grimacing as she looked at the all too clear wounds, "before you had that brilliant idea with the earring, I was getting really scared."

"Psh, as if I'd just let her kill me so she can kill you", the demon shook her head at once, "no such chance."

Smiling, Willow stood on her tiptoes in reply and kissed her tenderly, her free hand coming up and to a tender rest in the taller woman's neck, their kiss deepening a few moments later, the redhead's heart speeding up at how good this felt.

"Up to get out of this tank and heal?" she asked after the kiss, not surprised when Pat nodded at once; she had a moment to consider getting Oliver so he'd help her get out, then the muscles in the taller woman's healthy arm were already tensing and she pulled herself up, causing the witch to let out a startled noise before she moved in to help her, giving her a scolded look as she made sure that she got out of the tank without ending up hurting herself even further.

"Step back", the demon advised as soon as she was standing next to the tank, still holding on to it with one hand since she wasn't sure if she could risk putting any weight on her hurt leg; she knew that she had to so she could demon out, taking in a deep breath before she let go of the glass and carefully put some weight on the leg, glad when it didn't give in beneath her at once.

With another deep breath, she focused on the change, Willow watching how it started happening as it always did, with her hair spreading and growing longer and thicker until it became fur; her hurt leg trembled momentarily as the muscles there bulged and transformed, then flames came up and obscured the wound, a heavy breath coming from the demon as she finished the change and her wounds slowly started to close, the fleshy noises not disturbing the redhead any longer.

"There", Pat grumbled as the bites in her leg closed first, followed by the deep injury close to her neck; the gashes in her cheek were next, and the small puncture wounds Valeriana had inflicted on her neck while she had been unconscious, "much better."

"Indeed", Willow agreed, smiling, "here, Buffy brought some of your clothes along when she came here, she's upstairs with the others… They are discussing the future."

"The future?" Pat wanted to know, frowning a bit while she accepted the clothing and started getting dressed, "did they find out about the shards now, or what else do they need to discuss?"

"The shard thing is almost solved", the witch reassured her, gesturing at the bottle filled with red liquid, "it's more about the future of the pack."

"What about it?" the demon frowned, buttoning up her shirt before she rolled up the sleeves to accommodate to the warm weather, "are they fighting who'll lead them now that Valeriana is dead?"

"Not really", the redhead let her know, holding back the urge to giggle, "they are pretty sure you will."

"What?!" Pat spluttered after just staring at her in shock for a few moments, reacting exactly the way Willow had anticipated, "me? What? How? What the Fuck?"

"Language", the witch giggled, stepping closer to her putting both arms around her waist and prompting her to return the hug, "and yes, you. Since you killed the Alpha of the wolf pack, you take her place, that's how it goes in their pack."

"No way", the demon protested at once, "I'm not gonna be their new leader. They'll have to find someone else for that job."

"I knew you'd react like this", the redhead replied with another laugh, hooking her index fingers into the belt loops on her partner's pants, "in fact, I couldn't wait for you to wake up just so I can tease you about it. My little Alpha demon."

"That's not nice of you", the demon admonished, with a slight smile though which showed that she wasn't fully serious, "and I meant it when I said they'll have to look for a new leader. I don't even know where the Hell they are from, and there's no chance I'll go there with them, I like being in Sunnydale."

"What if they offered to move here?" Willow smirked, "would you still say no?"

"Yes", the taller woman replied at once, "I don't think I'm good leader material. And I don't get their whole pack mentality."

"I understand that", the redhead agreed, smiling up at her girlfriend, "you should have seen how Derek behaved when he came here to give me that bottle with the red stuff over there… Oh, and he also gave me this."

With those words, she pulled the necklace out of her pocket and handed it to the demon; she examined it for a while, then sighed, giving her lover a dismayed look as she spoke up again. "Let me guess, this is some kind of Alpha badge."

"Exactly", Willow confirmed with another giggle, earning a reproachful look for how much this amused her; she smiled innocently, then asked Pat if she wanted to go upstairs and join the rest now, making her nod, the couple sharing another tender kiss before they left the small room, both of them glad that the black haired woman was back to full health again.

* * *

The moment Pat stepped into the room, Derek, Jerome and the other wolf people got up from their seats and all bowed their heads, making her roll her eye while next to her, Willow quickly faked a cough to hide her giggling; telling them to cut it out, the demon made her way to one of the free chairs and sat down, giving them all a strict look afterwards.

"Alright", she then started, choosing her words wisely since she didn't want to end up offending them and maybe get torn to pieces after all, "I know that your… rules and traditions make me the new Alpha, now that I killed your previous one."

"Yes", Derek nodded at once, "that's how it goes, Boss, but Buffy already warned us that you might not be willing to lead."

"Well, Buffy's right", Pat told him, with a slight frown, "and don't call me Boss. My name's Pat."

"Sorry", the young man replied, sounding a bit meek, to her surprise, considering how he had talked to her when they had met the first time.

"Anyway", the demon now went on, "I'm flattered, really, but I'm not much of a leader, also, I'm not planning to leave Sunnydale anytime soon. So, I'm sorry, but you'll have to find someone else to be your new Alpha."

"That's not so easy", Jerome commented, looking at her in dismay, "to find a new Alpha, someone has to defeat the old one. It's the only way, the way of the pack."

"Defeat?" Willow repeated, her amusement vanishing into nothingness as concern filled her, "or kill?"

"Defeat", Jerome replied at once, to her obvious relief, "death is not necessary for this, just a clear winner."

"Okay", Pat agreed quickly, "who of you wants to challenge me then? As fast as possible?"

"Don't you want to think about this first?" Derek wanted to know in reply, looking dismayed, "I think you'd be good at leading us, why don't you want to?"

"I'm not much of a leader", the demon repeated in reply, momentarily feeling bad since he looked so unhappy, "and, apart from the fact that leaving Sunnydale is not an option, I don't have the whole wolf-thing down, either. I know nothing about you guys and how you tick."

"You could learn", Derek shrugged, "and maybe that's just what the pack needs. Valeriana knew as much about our ways as anyone possibly could, and you see how that turned out."

"Good point", Pat had to admit, "but, on the other hand, do you really think the rest of your pack, the ones who didn't come here with you, will be happy about an outsider leading you from now on? No offense, but just remember how hostile you were towards me when we first met, even though I was helping you guys out."

"She's right", Jerome threw in, looking a bit worried now, "most of the others will never accept this. So what do we do?"

"Well, if defeat means that the winner takes over, one of you guys has to challenge me", Pat shrugged in reply, "and kick my ass. I suggest we wait two to three hours, just in case, so I can heal after that battle. You can figure out who'll challenge me in the meantime."

"Alright", Derek sighed after a moment, "we'll do that then, if you really don't want to be our Alpha…"

"Sorry, but no", Pat told him once more, holding back the urge to smirk at how dejected he looked; next to her, Willow briefly smiled at her and grasped her hand, then changed the topic by asking Buffy and her if they wanted to drop by at Giles' place in the meantime, to see how far he had gotten with the shards, both the Slayer and the demon nodding their agreement.

"We'll be back later", the witch reassured the small group of shapeshifters as they all got up from their seats, "then you guys can settle the leadership thing, and maybe we'll have a solution for Alexia and Simone as well when we come back."

"That would be nice", Oliver sighed, looking at the door leading to the basement wistfully, "I really miss my girlfriend."

"I'm sure we'll figure out how to find the shards soon", Willow smiled at him, then packed the bottle of strange red liquid Derek had found in Valeriana's room into her bag; they reassured the shapeshifters once more that they'd be back soon, then left the mansion together and headed for Giles' home, curious about what he had found out.


	19. Chapter 19

"This will be very helpful", Giles said forty minutes later, studying the bottle Willow had handed to him, "I already determined that the shard you brought me has been influenced by magic, and if this is the liquid Valeriana used to do so, it will be much easier to locate them in the bodies of the inflicted shapeshifters."

"How?" Willow wanted to know, curious, "remember, I just had to make the mildest magical contact with that shard so it had an effect on me, and as much as I want to help those women, I don't want to end up giving in to the dark magic again."

"No need to fear this", Giles reassured her, smiling at her as he held up the bottle, "not now, after you found this. We can do a spell together which will react to that liquid and point it out to us, so we can find the shards without needing to interact with them."

"Okay, good", the witch smiled at once, "no danger there, then. What spell exactly will we use? A variant of the locator spell?"

"Almost", Giles let her know, carefully setting the bottle down on the table as if he was afraid it might explode, should he handle it too roughly, "I will do an analytical spell on this liquid, which will connect it to my magic – something I suggest I do because of the dark magic inside you, of course – and you then will act as my… catalyst to locate the shards in the bodies of the shapeshifters."

"Won't that endanger her, too?" Pat wanted to know, frowning, "if she's your catalyst, I mean?"

"No", Giles gave back at once, smiling reassuringly at her, "if this works out the way the spellbook said it would, there won't be any danger for her at all."

"I hope that book is right", the demon mumbled, looking at the bottle in dismay, "because if not, things might get really hairy. No pun intended."

"I'm sure it will work out", Willow reassured her, reaching over to grasp her hand and give it a tender squeeze before she focused on the Watcher again and asked him if he had everything he'd need for the analytical spell at home.

"Yes", he let her know at once, already getting up from his seat, "I assume you want to do this as fast as possible?"

"Yes, of course", the redhead gave back, "we have to help these poor women as quickly as possible, they've been in this state long enough already."

Nodding, Giles moved to one of the many shelves in his living room, grabbing various things from the shelves; once he had collected everything he needed for the spell, he moved back to the table and spread the ingredients on the smooth surface, then sat down again, working in silent concentration as he readied everything for the magic, finishing by putting the bottle of red liquid in the middle of the circle he had formed with various roots and stones.

"Please everyone, be quiet now", he then told the small group, "it's been a while since I did such magic, so I'll need full concentration."

They all nodded, watching how he took in a deep breath, then started mumbling under his breath, moving his hand over the circle as he did so; feeling how her hand was gripped tighter, Pat briefly glanced at her partner, then returned the squeeze in a hopefully reassuring way, making Willow look back at her, a weak smile curling her lips.

"It'll be okay", she mouthed at the redhead, making her nod after a moment; normally, she wouldn't be worried about Giles doing any magic, since he had quite some experience with it as well, but from what she could tell by looking at the ingredients he used, it was quite the difficult spell to perform, and she hoped with all her heart that it would work out fine, not wanting to have the Brit end up getting hurt because of her inability to do the spell despite her higher level of power.

Once again, she had time to curse the decision she had made back then, after Tara's death, when she had absorbed so much dark magic that now, it would be with her forever, always endangering her of losing control; and then, Giles finished mumbling under his breath and reached out with both hands, placing them on the bottle's lid, bright light flashing up beneath his fingertips seconds later, his head getting thrown back into his neck as he let out a mixture of groan and grunt through tightly clenched teeth.

Holding back the urge to jump up and grab him so he could tap into her power, Willow grasped her lover's hand even tighter, feeling a bit relieved when she felt the demon's fingers tighten around hers as well in reply; and then, Giles pulled his hands back and let out a heavy breath, sweat rolling down his cheeks as the light slowly started to seep into the bottle, briefly making the red liquid glow before it seemed to absorb the light and went back to how it had looked before the spell had been done.

"…did it work?" Buffy asked after a few moments of silence, during which Willow had been squeezing Pat's hand so hard that her knuckles where white against the skin; in response, Giles took in a few deep breaths, then nodded, smiling at the three women, still sounding a bit shaken up when he replied. "Yes, I did, I can feel it… The rest should be a piece of cake, as you young ones like to say."

"I'm older than you", the demon pointed out, glad when Willow's grip on her hand loosened up a bit, still holding her quite tightly though, "but good thing it worked. Should we get moving back to the mansion then and release those poor girls from their feral state?"

"Nicely said", Willow smirked at her, her grip loosening even further when the taller woman smiled back at her; then, Giles nodded and got up from his seat, picking the bottle up carefully and prompting the three women to stand up as well, the small group leaving the house just a few moments later and heading back to the mansion, confident that the problem with the wild shapeshifters would be solved soon.

* * *

An hour later, they were back in the mansion's basement, where Simone and Alexia had been kept asleep ever since the panther had managed to escape from the cage; the two animals laid side by side, slumbering soundly, hooked up to transfusions which provided them with the necessary nutrients so they wouldn't end up starving or dying of dehydration during their forced long sleep.

"I need to ask you all to be quiet", Giles told the three shapeshifters which had accompanied them down there, the small group consisting of Derek, Oliver and the girl who had visited Buffy in the early hours of the morning; they all nodded, watching curiously how Willow and he moved closer to the unconscious Alexia, the Brit then kneeling down next to the wolf and placing one hand on her head, taking hold of Willow's with the other one.

With a mixture of concern and curiousness, Pat watched as well, feeling Derek tense up next to her when the Watcher started to mumble under his breath; the young man gave the demon a brief, worried look, then focused on Giles and the witch again, a small gasp coming from him when, the moment Giles had fallen silent, a brightly glowing red dot of light formed over Alexia's body, drifting through the air for a while – until it moved down and settled on the wolf's body, over her right hind leg.

"This is where the shard is hidden", the Watcher let the group know, letting go of Willow's hand, the witch taking in a deep breath a moment later – when he had told her that he'd need her help for this, she hadn't thought that he'd need so much of her strength to locate the shard.

"Let's hope it's not too deep", Oliver commented, eying the spot the spell was marking and memorizing it, just in case the spell would fade away before he could get to work, "so I can cut it out easily."

Nodding, Giles briefly smiled at him, then moved over to the panther, prompting Willow to do the same; they repeated the procedure they had performed on Alexia, and just a few minutes later, the shard had been located in Simone's body as well, stuck in her flank.

"Thank you", Oliver told the two as soon as the spell had been finished on his partner, "this was very helpful, now that we know where to find the shards, we can put an end to this."

"Yes", Willow agreed, coming to her feet again and wiping sweat off her brow, Giles doing the same and letting out a heavy breath; the two briefly smiled at each other, then the redhead made her way to her partner, her smile widening when she immediately was taken into a tender embrace.

"You okay?" Pat mumbled to her, having noticed that acting as a catalyst for Giles had taken quite a bit of a toll on her; nodding, Willow gave her a reassuring smile, the demon returning it after a moment before she bent down for a brief kiss, then looked at the shapeshifters again, sounding mildly curious when she asked if they had figured out yet who would challenge her.

"Yes", Derek was the one to answer, "I will, if that's okay with you."

"Sure", the demon shrugged, not really caring who the leader would be as long as it wasn't her, "and when?"

"As soon as possible?" the young man suggested in reply, "we all know you're not happy to lead us, so this should be settled quickly, in case a decision needs to be made by the Alpha."

"Alright, let's go then, while Oliver does his work here", Pat smirked, making the young man nod; a brief glance to the rest of the pack showed that they were fine with it as well, and the group left the cellar together, sans Oliver, the panther-man staying behind to remove the shards from Alexia and Simone, wanting to get them out of their bodies as fast as possible.

"Don't hit her too hard, please", Willow sighed with a glance at Derek, "she's gotten hurt enough in the last few days, we don't need to add any extra injuries…"

"I'm more afraid of her hitting me too hard", Derek admitted in reply, "I've seen her fight, remember?"

"No need to worry", the redhead smiled at him in reply, "she doesn't want to win, after all…"

"Good point", the young man had to agree, then they had reached the mansion's ground floor and made their way outside into the big garden, where the shapeshifters lined up at the fence, Derek still taking the time to explain how the fight would be done.

"No weapons", he let the demon know, "just hand to hand, until one of us in on the ground and the other can pin them down so they can't get back up."

"Like wrestling", Pat smirked, making him smile as well while he nodded; then, he took off his jacket and handed it to one of his pack mates, exposing the sleeveless shirt he had been wearing beneath and giving them all a good look at his muscular arms and defined chest, forming a stark contrast to the wiry built of the taller woman.

"If I didn't know how strong she is, I'd be worried now", Buffy whispered to Willow, making the redhead nod; then, the witch briefly stepped forward to take her partner's jacket from her as well, watching how Derek shook out his arms and flexed his muscles, the rest of the pack cheering for him and making her realize that this was some sort of ritual they most likely always did before a fight.

She had a moment to wonder if Pat would pick up on that, as well, and do the same, and if anyone would cheer for her; then, the demon was already stretching and raising her fists, and to Willow's surprise, the rest of the pack applauded her as well, some of them even chanting her name, making her wonder if they were just being polite or if those really wanted her to lead them.

And then, without any kind of signal given, Derek launched himself forward and pulled back his fist; it shot towards the demon's face with stunning speed, but she still managed to block it, the pack letting out a collective noise of respect at the sight. Without missing a beat, the taller woman returned the favour, in form of a high kick aimed at the young man's head; he brought up his forearm in the last second and blocked it, then shot forward, with the intention to punch her in the stomach this time, and she sidestepped in the last second, the momentum of the missed hit carrying him forward and giving her a chance to nail him in the back.

With a low grunt, Derek stumbled a few steps forward as the kick connected, then regained his balance and spun back around; with a low snarl, he raised his fists again, then surprised the watching small crowd by grabbing Pat's arm when she tried to land another punch, a small wince escaping Willow when she watched how he used his grip on her to throw her on her back with some sort of martial arts move, making her grunt as well when she hit the grassy ground.

With another snarl, the young man threw himself forward, with the intention to pin her there and end the fight; to his dismay though, she didn't make things that easy for him, moving out of the way surprisingly quick and causing him to end up on the grass face first, the pack cheering again when she immediately moved in again and kicked him hard in the side, jumping back when he made a grasp for her leg in response.

If she had been keen on winning, Willow pondered as she watched how Derek came to his feet again, she would have tried to pin him now; since she had no interest in being leader of the pack though, Pat let the young man get back up, still not making things too easy for him though, easily blocking his next try to punch her.

"Why does she make it so hard for him?" Buffy whispered to Willow, frowning as she watched how the demon blocked another kick and landed a punch of her own, "if she wants him to win, why doesn't she let him hit her and goes down?"

"Some pack thing, probably", Willow whispered back, gesturing at the watching shapeshifters and their cheering, "if she makes it too easy for him, it might spread among the rest of the pack, you know, the ones who aren't here, that he didn't really win, and it might cause trouble for him."

"Good point", Buffy admitted, then winced as she saw how Pat took a hit straight to the face; snarling, the demon took a few steps back, ducking the next blow and retaliating with a harsh kick, a satisfied smirk on her face when Derek grunted in pain as the her booted foot connected with his rib cage.

Growling in the back of his throat, he moved towards her for another attack; they kept exchanging blows for a while, the rest of the pack cheering each time a hit landed, then Pat finally decided that the show had been going on long enough and that the fight had to be satisfying for them now, thus letting him hit her in the face once more and going down, giving her best to look dazed as she remained on the ground.

With another snarl, Derek threw himself down on her, pinning her in a complicated looking grip; and the moment he had immobilized her that way, one of the pack members stepped forward and started counting, all of them breaking into cheers and applause again the moment the man had counted to ten.

"To our new Alpha!" the man named Jerome called out while Derek moved back and held out his hand to Pat, helping her to her feet when she grasped it, "and to the good fight we just witnessed! Well done, Derek!"

"Thank you", the young man gave back, wiping sweat off his brow before he glanced at the demon and complimented with her "good fight", making her return the compliment before she dug through her pockets until she found a cigarette, lighting one of them up moments later.

"Thanks", Derek whispered to her the moment he could be sure no one was paying attention on them anymore as they all made their way back into the mansion, eager to celebrate the victory of their new leader, "for fighting properly and not making it too easy, or it might have gotten messy."

"Yeah, I figured that", Pat smirked at him, taking a drag of her cigarette before she went on, "so I didn't just fall down after the first hit. But, oh, you defeated me anyway, what a shame." The last few words came in such a deadpan tone that Derek couldn't help himself, but just had to laugh; grinning back at him, the demon made her way to the front door with him and ditched her cigarette there before going inside, suddenly curious to see how shapeshifters would celebrate the naming of a new leader – and if Oliver had managed to remove the shards and give both Simone and Alexia their control back.


	20. Chapter 20

"Seems like shapeshifters party just like regular humans", Buffy commented half an hour later, watching how the men and women in the large living room enjoyed themselves with beers, music and, in some cases, dancing; someone had found a variety of crisps, nuts and other salty snacks, the Slayer helping herself to a handful of peanuts while Willow just nodded, busy with scanning the room for her partner, who had left to get them drinks.

"Funny", she then commented, looking at her best friend again, "they don't drink coffee because of the control thing, but have no trouble drinking alcohol."

"We don't drink much", Jerome, who had been standing within earshot, threw in, "just for that reason, but everyone here knows their limits, so no worries. Worst case, one of us changes, but only to lick your face."

"Hey, no face-licking of my girlfriend", Pat's voice came from behind him, prompting him to flinch slightly before he turned around to face her and give her an apologetic, toothy grin while Willow giggled slightly, only to end up coughing at what the demon said next, "the only one who licks her anywhere is me."

"Pat", the witch scolded, feeling her cheeks heat up slightly, "I'm sure he didn't need to hear that."

"No, I didn't", Jerome confirmed, momentarily making her smile – before he went on and she groaned, having forgotten that the shapeshifters could be as bad as Anya about inappropriate conversation topics. "It's quite obvious that your bond is strong, so I know already that you surely mate quite often."

"Oh jeez", the witch groaned in reply, prompting Jerome to give her a confused look – before a familiar voice came up behind him, making them all look at the speaker. "Don't say such things to them Jerome, they aren't comfortable with talking about their mating habits."

"Alexia!" Jerome cried out in reply, spinning around to pull the smiling woman into a hug, "you recovered!"

"Yes, thanks to our friends here, I heard", Alexia replied, giving them a thankful look, "I owe you my gratitude."

"Oh, that's okay", Willow reassured her, finally taking the cup of beer Pat had brought along for her and smiling when the taller woman put one arm around her waist, "we're glad we could help."

"Still it was very kind of you", Alexia insisted, "after all, you had no obligation to help us, not being part of the pack and everything. Even though Oliver told me that you were, for a brief time."

With those words, she looked at Pat and smiled, the demon nodding and smirking back at her, taking a sip of her own beer before replied. "Yup, but it didn't last long, Derek defeated me and he's your new leader."

"I know", Alexia smiled, "he's very proud, showing the insignia to everyone all the time, even though we all know. It's a pity that Valeriana was behind this, apart from that, she was a good Alpha…"

"We'll just take your word on that", Willow gave back, then realized that the other woman they had helped was nowhere to be seen and, with a slight frown, asked if Simone was alright again, as well, only to blush at the other woman's rather open reply. "Oh, yes she is, thanks for asking, Oliver and she are having sex right now down in the basement to celebrate this."

"Too much information", Pat told her, making her clear her throat as she realized that now, she had been the one to say something inappropriate; she smiled apologetically, then excused herself from the small group to talk to another member of the pack, the three briefly watching her go before Willow looked up at her partner again.

"We did a good thing here", she let the taller woman know, smiling happily and with a hint of pride, "helping them to get rid of that crazy Valeriana, making Derek their new leader and helping to cure those two girls."

"Indeed", Pat agreed, smiling back at her, "now let's hope Derek won't end up unstable like his predecessor."

"I doubt it", Gils commented, joining the little group after having spoken to the new Alpha for a while, eager to learn more about the pack and their ways, "he seems to be a very reasonable and smart young man. Also, he told me that from now on, the four of us are considered Friend of the Pack, and if we ever need their help, we are welcome to contact them."

"That's good to know", the demon remarked, "it can't hurt to be on the good side of a bunch of shapeshifters."

"Indeed", the Watcher agreed, smiling at her, "Derek also wrote down his cell phone number and their address, or, better said, location for me. Interesting, they usually live in the woods, quite far from here."

"No surprise there", Pat shrugged, "if I could change into a wolf, I'd prefer the woods too, bet they hunt there and everything."

"Indeed we do", Derek's voice came up from her right, and she automatically glanced over, only to let out a vague noise of disbelief when she found herself looking at a naked Derek, the young man innocently smiling at her, clearly having no troubles about running around naked; then, he noticed the way they all were staring at him and quickly covered his privates, sounding a bit embarrassed when he went on. "Oh, excuse me, I forgot you are not used to our ways, we have no problems with showing ourselves naked, it just happens after we changed, you know…"

"Oh, I don't mind", Buffy reassured him, sizing him up without shame and making Willow, Pat and Giles raise an eyebrow at her in perfect unison; she noticed their looks and shrugged, then smiled innocently, only to frown as she glanced back to where Derek had been standing a moment ago and found the spot empty.

"Probably left to find his clothes", Pat commented with a chuckle, while Buffy let out a sigh; the other three rolled their eyes at her behaviour again, then yet another member of the pack came over to talk to them, distracting the Slayer from thoughts about a naked Derek, the four of them soon mingling with the other shapeshifters and, after the days of excitement and trouble, simply enjoying the happy and peaceful atmosphere at the party.

* * *

"Oh wow", Willow brought out hours later between kisses, which already had started in the elevator and had continued as they had made their way down the hall to the apartment door, "that party really… inspired you, huh?"

"Uh-huh", Pat confirmed incoherently, then kissed her again right after she had unlocked the apartment door, simultaneously moving inside with the redhead and kicking the door close behind herself, "that party and that fight. Got my energies up."

"I can notice that", Willow mumbled, then the taller woman's lips were on hers again – before her arms moved from her waist a bit farther south and she was hoisted up, involuntarily giggling into the demon's mouth while she wrapped her legs around the taller woman's middle so she wouldn't end up falling.

Without breaking the kiss, Pat navigated from the small anteroom through the living room and into the bedroom; there, she carefully lowered Willow onto the bed, ending up leaning over her, the kiss still going on as her hands moved to unbutton the redhead's blouse.

"Careful", Willow managed to say, once again between kisses, "or you'll tear it…"

"I'll buy you a new one", the demon shrugged her worries off, then kissed her deeply once more; arching her back to make the removal of her blouse easier, the redhead decided to ignore any immediate danger for her clothing and just gave in to her own lust, the excitement of the previous days forgotten as she fully focused on her girlfriend and on how she made her feel.

* * *

In the next morning, the group around Buffy met up with the shapeshifters one final time for their goodbyes; Derek once more reassured them that they were considered friends of the pack and that they could call anytime they needed assistance, while Simone took the chance given by this final meeting to thank them all for their help.

"You're welcome", Buffy smiled at her, making the shapeshifter beam back happily, "that's what we're here for. If you ever need help again, don't hesitate to contact us."

"The same goes for you", Derek repeated yet another time, smiling at the small group, "please, call us anytime you need help, as friends of the pack, you have every right to do so, no matter what."

"Thanks", the Slayer smiled, then shook the young man's hand; before he could repeat the gesture with the other three though, his eyes suddenly widened, and he cried out "Oh no! I nearly forgot!", making them give him curious looks as he started digging through his pockets – before he found what he had been looking for and proudly held it out to Pat, the demon raising an eyebrow when she recognized the object as her earring, sealed way in a small plastic baggie so he didn't have to touch it directly.

"Oliver cut it out of Valeriana", he explained, the taller woman working hard to keep her face straight as she took the earring and put it into her pocket, thanking him; he smiled at her, then shook her hand before he did the same with Giles and Willow, reminding them once more that they could contact them any time.

"We'll keep that in mind", Buffy reassured him, then told him to get back to their woods safely; he nodded, smiling at them once more before the whole group piled into the cars they had come here with and drove off, their vehicles soon vanishing in the distance as the Slayer and the Scoobie gang watched them leave.

"Alright", Pat stated the moment they were out of sight, digging out the plastic bag again, "where's the next trashcan?"

"Awww", Buffy took the chance given for teasing at once, "don't you want that earring anymore? It's so pretty."

"You can have it", the demon gave back at once, holding the plastic baggie out to her, "but I'm not putting anything which has been inside a crazy wolf bitch into my ear, no frigging way."

"Can't blame you", Willow commented, eying the baggie with disgust; Pat smirked at her, then tucked it back into her pocket since no trashcan was in sight, figuring she could ditch it later on.

"Well, I guess we are done here", Buffy let the rest of the group know, "let's go home and have some celebratory brunch or something?"

"Oh, I like the sound of that", Pat smirked, not really surprising anyone; they all smiled at each other, then headed away from the mansion and back to the inner city again, all of them feeling content and happy about how well the whole situation had been resolved.

End


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